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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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VOYAGE 



OF 



THE LIBERDADE 



BY 



CAPTAIN JOSHUA SLOCUM 




J5 of CO/v, 

■ 



J -. ; 



BOSTON 

ROBERTS BROTHERS 

1894 



/CS 






Copyrighted, 1890, 
By Captain Joshua Slocum. 

Copyright, 1894, 
By Joshua Slocum. 



(JSmbersttjj -press: 
Presswork by John Wilson and Son. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE. 

The Ship — The Crew — Hurricane — Cape Verde Islands — 

Cape Frio — A Pampeiro. . . . . .11 

CHAPTER II. 

Montevideo — Beggars — Antonina for Mate — Antonina 

to Buenos Ajres — The Bombelia. .... 20 

CHAPTER III. 

Salvage of a cargo of wine — -Sailors happy — Cholera in 
the Argentine — Death in the land — Dutch Harry — 
Pete the Greek — Noted Crimps — Boat lost — Sail 
for Ilha Grande — Expelled from the Port — Serious 
Hardships. ........ 23 

CHAPTER IV. 

Ilha Grande Decree — Return to Rosario — Waiting the 
opening of Brazilian Ports — Scarcity of Sailors — 
Buccaneers turned Pilots — Sail down the River — 
Arrive at Ilha Grande the second time — ■ Quarantined 
and Fumigated — Admitted to Pratique — Sail for 
Rio — Again Challenged — Rio at last. . . 34 



VI CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 

PAGE 

At Rio — Sail for Antonina with Mixed Cargo — A 
Pampeiro — Ship on Beam-ends — Cargo still more 
Mixed — Topgallant Masts carried Away — Arrive 
safely at Antonina. . . . . . . 43 

CHAPTER VI. 

Mutiny — Attempt at Robbery and Murder — Four against 
One — Two go down before a Rifle — Order Re- 
stored. . . . . . . . . -47 

CHAPTER VII. 

Join the Bark at Montevideo — A Good Crew — Small-pox 
Breaks Out — Bear up for Maldonado and Flores — 
No Aid — Death of Sailors — To Montevideo in 
Distress — Quarantine. ...... 56 

CHAPTER VIII. 

A new Crew — Sail for Antonina — Load Timber — 

Native Canoes — Loss of the Aquidneck. . . 68 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Building of the Liberdade. . . . . -75 

CHAPTER X. 

Across the Bar — The run to Santos — Tow to Rio by 

Steamship — At Rio. ...... 89 

CHAPTER XL 

Sail from Rio — Anchor at Cape Frio — Encounter with a 
Whale — Sunken Treasure — The Schoolmaster — 
The Merchant — The Good People at the Village — 
A Pleasant Visit. ....... 97 



CONTENTS. Vll 

CHAPTER XII. 

PAGE 

Sail from Frio — Round Cape St. Thome — High Seas 
and Swift Currents — In the "Trades" — Dangerous 
Reefs — Run into Harbor Unawares on a Dark and 
Stormy Night — At Caravelles — Fine Weather — A 
Gale — Port St. Paulo — Treacherous Natives — Sail 
for Bahia. ........ 105 

CHAPTER XIII. 

At Bahia — Meditations on the Discoverers — The Car- 

ibbees. . . . . . . . . .112 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Bahia to Pernambuco — The Meeting of the Finance at 
Sea — At Pernambuco — Round Cape St. Roque — 
A Gale — Breakers — The Stretch to Barbadoes — 
Flying-Fish alighting on Deck — Dismasted — Arrive 
at Carlysle Bay. . . . . . . .116 

CHAPTER XV. 

At Barbadoes — Mayaguez — Crossing the Bahama Banks 
— The Gulf Stream — Arrival on the Coast of South 
Carolina. . . . ■ . . . . . .130 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Ocean Currents — Visit South Santee — At the Typee 
River — Quarantined — South Port and Wilmington, 
N. C. — Inland Sailing to Beaufort, Norfolk and 
Washington, D. C. — Voyage ended. . . 145 



GREETING. 



This literary craft of mine, in its native model 
and rig, goes out laden with the facts of the strange 
happenings on a home afloat. Her constructor, a 
sailor for many years, could have put a whole cargo 
of salt, so to speak, in the little packet; but would 
not so wantonly intrude on this domain of longshore 
navigators. Could the author and constructor but 
box-haul, club-haul, tops'1-haul and catharpin like 
the briny sailors of the strand, ah me ! — and hope 
to be forgiven ! 

Be the current against us, what matters it? Be 
it in our favor, we are carried hence, to what place 
or for what purpose ? Our plan of the whole voyage 
is so insignificant that it matters little, maybe, 
whither we go, for the "grace of a day "is the 
same ! Is it not a recognition of this which makes 
the old sailor happy, though in the storm ; and 
hopeful even on a plank in mid-ocean? Surely 
it is this ! for the spiritual beauty of the sea, ab- 
sorbing man's soul, permits of no infidels on its 

boundless expanse. 

The Author. 



VOYAGE OF THE LIBERDADE. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE SHIP — THE CREW — A HURRICANE — CAPE 
VERDE ISLANDS FRIO A PAMPEIRO. 



To get underweigh: It was on the 28th of Feb- 
ruary, 1886, that the bark Aquidneck, laden with 
case-oil, sailed from New York for Montevideo, 
the capital of Uruguay, the strip of land bounding 
the River Platte on the east, and called by the na- 
tives " Banda Oriental." The Aquidneck was a 
trim and tidy craft of 326 tons' register, hailing 
from Baltimore, the port noted for clippers, and 
being herself high famed above them all for swift 
sailing, she had won admiration on many seas. 

Her crew mustered ten, all told ; twelve had 
been the complement, when freights were good. 
There were, beside the crew with regular stations, 
a little lad, aged about six years, and his mamma, 
(age immaterial,) privileged above the rest, hav- 



12 VOYAGE OF THE 

ing " all nights in" — that is, not having to stand 
watch. The mate, Victor, who is to see many 
adventures before reaching New York again, was 
born and bred on shipboard. He was in perfect 
health, and as strong as a windlass. When he 
first saw the light and began to give orders, he was 
at San Francisco on the packet Constitution, the 
vessel lost in the tempest at Samoa, just before the 
great naval disaster at the same place in the year 
of 1889. Garfield, the little lad above mentioned, 
Victor's brother, in this family ship, was born in 
Hong Kong harbor, in the old bark Amethyst, a 
bona-fide American citizen, though first seeing the 
light in a foreign port, the stars and stripes stand- 
ing sponsors for his nationality. This bark had 
braved the wind and waves for fifty-eight years, 
but had not, up to that date, so far as 1 know, ex- 
perienced so lively a breeze as the one which 
sprung up about her old timbers on that eventful 
3d of March, 1880. 

Our foremast hands on the Aquidneck, six in 
number, were from as many nations, strangers to 
me and strangers to each other; but the cook, a 
negro, was a native American — to the manner 
born. To have even so many Americans in one 
ship was considered exceptional. 

Much or little as matters this family history 
and description of the crew : the day of our sail- 
ing was bitter-cold and stormy, boding no good 



LIBERDADE. 1 3 

for the coming voyage, which was to be, indeed, 
the most eventful of my life of more than five-and- 
thirty years at sea. Studying the morning weather 
report, before sailing, we saw predicted a gale 
from the nor'west, and one also approaching from 
the sou'west at the same time. " The prospect," 
said the New York papers, " is not encouraging." 
We were anxious, however, to commence the voy- 
age, having a crew on board, and, being all 
ready, we boldly sailed, somewhat against our 
better judgment. The nor'wester blowing, at the 
time, at the rate of forty miles an hour, increased 
to eighty or ninety miles by March 2d. This hur- 
ricane continued through March 3d, and gave us 
serious concern for the ship and all on board. 

At New York, on those days, the wind howled 
from the north, with the " storm centre somewhere 
on the Atlantic," so said the wise seamen of the 
weather bureau, to whom, by the way, the real 
old salt is indebted, at the present day, for infor- 
mation of approaching storms, sometimes days 
ahead. The prognostication was correct, as we 
can testify, for out on the Atlantic our bark could 
carry only a mere rag of a foresail, somewhat 
larger than a table-cloth, and with this storm-sail 
she went flying before the tempest, all those dark 
days, with a large " bone in her mouth,"* making 

*The white foam at the bows produced by fast sailing is, by 
sailors, called, " a bone in her mouth." 



1 4 VOYAGE OF THE 

great headway, even under the small sail. Moun- 
tains of seas swept clean over the bark in their mad 
race, filling her decks full to the top of the bul- 
warks, and shaking things generally. 

Our men were lashed, each one to his station ; 
and all spare spars not doubly lashed were washed 
away, along with other movables that were broken 
and torn from their fastenings by the wild storm. 

The cook's galley came in for its share of the 
damage, the cook himself barely escaping serious 
injury from a sea that went thundering across the 
decks, taking with it doors, windows, galley stove, 
pots, kettles and all, together with the culinary 
artist ; landing the whole wreck in the leescuppers, 
but, most fortunately, with the professor on top. 
A misfortune like this is always — felt. It dampens 
one's feelings, so to speak. It means cold food 
for a time to come, if not even worse fare. 

The day following our misfortune, however, was 
not so bad. In fact, the tremendous seas boarding 
the bark latterly were indications of the good 
change coming, for it meant that her speed had 
slackened through a lull of the gale, allowing the 
seas to reach her too full and heavy. 

More sail was at once crowded on, and still more 
was set at every stage of the abatement of the gale, 
for the craft should not be lazy when big seas race 
after her. And so, on we flew, like a scud, sheet- 
ing home sail after sail, as required, till the 5th of 



LIBERDADE. 1 5 

March, when all of her white wings were spread, 
and she fairly " walked the waters like a thing of 
life." There was now wind enough for several 
days, but not too much, and our swift-sailing craft 
laughed at the seas trying to catch her. 

Cheerily on,we sailed for days and days, pressed 
by the favoring gale, meeting the sun each day a 
long span earlier, making daily four degrees of 
longitude. It was the time, on these bright days, 
to forearm with dry clothing against future stormy 
weather. Boxes and bags were brought on deck, 
and drying and patching went on by wholesale in 
the watch below, while the watch on deck bestirred 
themselves putting the ship in order. " Chips," the 
carpenter, mended the galley ; the cook's broken 
shins were plastered up ; and in a few days all was 
well again. And the sailors moving cheerfully 
about once more in their patched garments of varied 
hues, reminded me of the spotted cape pigeons, 
pecking for a living, the pigeons, I imagined, having 
a better life of the two. A panican of hot coffee 
or tea by sailors called " water bewitched," a sea- 
biscuit and " bit of salt-horse," had regaled the 
crew and restored their voices. Then " Reuben 
Ranzo " was heard on the breeze, and the main tack 
was boarded to the tune of "Johnny Boker." Other 
wondrous songs through the night-watch could 
be heard in keeping with the happy time. Then 
what they would do and what they wouldn't do in 



1 6 VOYAGE OF THE 

the next port was talked of, when song and yarn 
ran out- 
Hold fast, shipmate, hold fast and belay ! or the 
crimps of Montevideo will wear the new jacket you 
promise yourself, while you will be off Cape Horn, 
singing " Haul out to leeward," with <a wet stocking 
on your neck, and with the same old " lamby " on, 
that long since was "lamby" only in name, the 
woolly part having given way to a cloth worn much 
in "Far Cathay ;" in short, you will dress in dun- 
garee, the same as now, while the crimps and land- 
sharks divide your scanty earnings, unless you 
" take in the slack " of your feelings, and " make 
all fast and steady all." 

Ten days out, and we were in the northeast 
" trades" — porpoises were playing under the bows 
as only porpoises can play ; dolphins were racing 
alongside, and flying-fish were all about. This 
was, indeed, a happy change, and like being trans- 
ported to another world. Our hardships were now 
all forgotten, for " the sea washes off all the woes 
of men." 

One week more of pleasant sailing, all going 
orderly on board, and Cape Verde Islands came in 
sight. A grand and glorious sight they were ! All 
hail, terra firma! It is good to look at you once 
again ! By noon the islands were abeam, and the 
fresh trade-wind in the evening bore us out of sight 
of them before dark. 



LIBERDADE. 



17 



Most delightful sailing is this large, swinging 
motion of our bark bounding over the waves, with 
the gale abaft the beam, driving her forward till she 
fairly leaps from billow to billow, as if trying to rival 
her companions, the very flying-fish. Thwarted now 
by a sea, she strikes it with her handsome bows, 
sending into the light countless thousand sprays, that 
shine like a nimbus of glory. The tread on her 
deck-plank is lighter now, and the little world afloat 
is gladsome fore and aft. 

Cape Frio (cold cape) was the next landfall. 
Upon reaching that point, we had crossed the At- 
lantic twice. The course toward Cape Verde Islands 
had been taken to avail ourselves of a leading wind 
through the southeast trades, the course from the 
islands to Frio being southwesterly. This latter 
stretch was spanned on an easy bow-line ; with 
nothing eventful to record. Thence our course 
was through variable winds to the River Platte, 
where a il pamftezro " was experienced that blew 
"great guns," and whistled a hornpipe through the 
rigging. 

These fampeiros (winds from the pampas), usu- 
ally blow with great fury, but give ample warning 
of their approach : the first sign being a spell of 
unsurpassed fine weather, with small, fleecy clouds 
floating so gently in the sky that one scarcely per- 
ceives their movements, yet they do move, like an 
immense herd of sheep grazing undisturbed on the 
2 



1 8 VOYAGE OF THE 

great azure field. All this we witnessed, and took 
into account. Then gradually, and without any 
apparent cause, the clouds began to huddle together 
in large groups ; a sign had been given which the 
elements recognized. Next came a flash of fire 
from behind the accumulating masses, then a dis- 
tant rumbling noise. It was a note of warning, and 
one that no vessel should let pass unheeded. ' ' Clew 
up, and furl !" was the order. To hand all sail 
when these fierce visitors are out on a frolic over 
the seas, and entertain them under bare poles, is the 
safest plan, unless, indeed, the best storm sails are 
bent ; even then it is safest to goose-wing the tops'ls 
before the gale comes on. Not till the fury of the 
blast is spent does the ship require sail, for it is not 
till then that the sea begins to rise, necessitating 
sail to steady her. 

The first onslaught of the storm, levelling all 
before it, and sending the would-be waves flying 
across in sheets — sailor sheets, so to speak — lends 
a wild and fearful aspect ; but there is no dread of 
a lee-shore in the sailor's heart at these times, for 
the gale is from off the land, as indicated by the 
name it bears. 

After the gale was a calm ; following which came 
desirable winds, that carried us at last to the port 
we sought — Montevideo ; where we cast anchor on 
the 5th of May, and made preparations, after the 
customs' visit, for discharging the cargo, which was 



LIBERDADE. 19 

finally taken into lighters from alongside to the 
piers, and thence to the warehouses, where ends the 
ship's responsibility to the owner of the goods. But 
not till then ceases the ship's liabilities, or the cap- 
tain's care of the merchandise placed in his trust. 
Clearly the captain has cares on sea and on land. 



20 VOYAGE OF THE 



CHAPTER II. 



MONTEVIDEO BEGGARS ANTONINA FOR MATE 

ANTONINA TO BUENOS AYRES THE BOMBELIA. 



Montevideo, sister city to Buenos Ayres, is the 
fairer of the two to look upon, from the sea, having 
a loftier situation, and, like Buenos Ayres, boasts 
of many fine mansions, comely women, liberal 
schools, and a cemetery of great splendor. 

It is at Montevideo that the "beggar a-horse- 
back " becomes a verity (horses are cheap) ; gal- 
loping up to you the whining beggar will implore 
you, saying : " For the love of Christ, friend, give 
me a coin to buy bread with." 

From "the Mont." we went to Antonina, in 
Brazil, for a cargo of mate, a sort of tea, which, 
prepared as a drink, is wholesome and refreshing. 
It is partaken of by the natives in a highly sociable 
manner, through a tube which is thrust into the 
steaming beverage in a silver urn or a calabash, 
whichever may happen to be at hand when 
"draughty neebors neebors meet;" then all sip 



LIBERDADE. 21 

and sip in bliss, from the same tube, which is 
passed from mouth to mouth. No matter how 
many mouths there may be, the bombelia, as it is 
called, must reach them all. It may have to be 
replenished to make the drink go around, and 
several times, too, when the company is large. 
This is done with but little loss of time. By 
thrusting into the urn or gourd a spoonful of the 
herb, and two spoonfuls of sugar to a pint of water, 
which is poured, boiling, over it, the drink is made. 
But to give it some fancied extra flavor, a live coal 
{carbo vegetable) is plunged into the potion to the 
bottom. Then it is again passed around, begin- 
ning where it left off. Happy is he, if a stranger, 
who gets the first sip at the tube, but the initiated 
have no prejudices. While in that country I fre- 
quently joined in the social rounds at mate, and 
finally rejoiced in a bo?nbelia of my own. 

The people at Antonina (in fact all the people 
we saw in Brazil) , were kind, extremely hospitable, 
and polite ; living in thrift generally, their wants 
were but few beyond their resources. The moun- 
tain scenery, viewed from the harbor of Antonina, 
is something to gloat over ; I have seen no place 
in the world more truly grand and pleasing. The 
climate, too, is perfect and healthy. The only 
doctor of the place, when we were there, wore a 
coat out at the elbows, for lack of patronage. A 
desirable port is Antonina. 



22 VOYAGE OF THE 

We had musical entertainments on board, at this 
place. To see the display of beautiful white teeth 
by these Brazilian sweet singers was good to the 
soul of a sea-tossed mariner. One nymph sang 
for the writer's benefit a song at which they all 
laughed very much. Being in native dialect, I did 
not understand it, but of course laughed with the 
rest, at which they were convulsed ; from this, I 
supposed it to be at my expense. I enjoyed that, 
too, as much, or more-, than I would have relished 
areytos in my favor. 

With mate we came to Buenos Ayres, where the 
process of discharging the cargo was the same as 
at Montevideo — into lighters. But at Buenos 
Ayres we lay four times the distance from the 
shore, about four miles. 

The herb, or herva mate, is packed into barrels, 
boxes, and into bullock-hide sacks, which are 
sewed up with stout hide thongs. The contents, 
pressed in tightly when the hide is green and 
elastic, becomes as hard as a cannon ball by the 
contraction which follows when it dries. The first 
load of the soroes, so-called, that came off to the 
bark at the port of loading, was espied on the way 
by little Garfield. Piled in the boat, high above 
the gunwales, the hairy side out, they did look 
odd. " Oh, papa," said he, " here comes a load 
of cows ! Stand by, all hands, and take them in." 



LIBERDADE. 23 



CHAPTER III. 



SALVAGE OF A CARGO OF WINE SAILORS HAPPY 

CHOLERA IN THE ARGENTINE DEATH 

IN THE LAND DUTCH HARRY PETE THE 

GREEK NOTED CRIMPS BOAT LOST 

SAIL FOR ILHA GRANDE EXPELLED FROM 

THE PORT — SERIOUS HARDSHIPS. 



From Buenos Ayres, we proceeded up the River 
Platte, near the confluence of the Parena and Para- 
guay, to, salve a cargo of wine from the stranded 
brig Neovo San Pascual, from Marseilles. 

The current of the great river at that point runs 
constantly seaward, becoming almost a sea of it- 
self, and a dangerous one to navigate ; hence the 
loss of the San Pascual, and many others before 
her. 

If, like the "Ancient Mariner," we had, any of 
us, cried, " water, water all around, and not a drop 
to drink," we forgot it now, in this bountiful stream. 
Wine, too, we had without stint. The insurance 
agent, to leave no excuse for tampering with the 



24 VOYAGE OF THE 

cargo, rolled out a cask of the best, and, like a 
true Hans Briterman, "knocked out der bung." 
Then, too, cases were broken in the handling, the 
contents of which drenched their clothes from top 
to toe, as the sailors carried them away on their 
heads. 

The diversity of a sailor's life — ah me ! The ex- 
perience of Dana and his shipmates, for instance, 
on a sunburnt coast, carrying dry hides on their 
heads, if not a worse one, may be in store for us, 
we cried, now fairly swimming in luxuries — water 
and wine alike free. Although our present good 
luck may be followed by times less cheerful, we 
preferred to count this, we said, as compensation 
for past misfortunes, marking well that " it never 
rains but it pours." 

The cargo of wine in due course, was landed at 
Rosario, with but small loss, the crew, except in 
one case, remaining sober enough to help navigate 
even the difficult Parana. But one old sinner, the 
case I speak of, an old Labrador fisherman, be- 
came a useless, drunken swab, in spite of all we 
could do. I say " we " for most of the crew were 
on my side, in favor of a fair deal and " regular 
supplies." 

The hold was barred and locked, and every 
place we could think of, for a time, was searched ; 
still Dan kept terribly drunk. At last his mattress 
was turned out, and from it rolled — a dozen or 



LIBERDADE. 25 

more bottles of the best liquor. Then there was a 
row, but all on the part of Dan, who swore blue 
vengeance on the man, if he could but find him 
out, who had stowed that grog in his bunk, "try- 
ing to get" him "into trouble;" some of those 
"young fellows would rue it yet !" 

The cargo of wine being discharged, I chartered 
to load alfalfa, packed in bales, for Rio. Many 
deaths had occurred about this time, with appalling 
suddenness ; we soon learned that cholera was 
staring us all in the face, and that it was fast 
spreading through the country, filling towns and 
cities with sickness and death. 

Approaching more frightfully near, it carried 
our pilot over the bar: his wife was a widow the 
day after he brought our bark to the loading berth. 
And the young man who commenced to deliver us 
the cargo was himself measured the day after. 
His ship had come in ! 

Many stout men, and many, many women and 
children succumbed to the scourge ; yet it was our 
high privilege to come through the dark cloud 
without losing a loved one, while thousands were 
cast down with bereavements and grief. At one 
time it appeared that we were in the centre of the 
cloud which zig-zagged its ugly body, serpent-like, 
through districts, poisoning all that it touched, and 
leaving death in its wake. This was indeed 
cholera in its most terrible form ! 



26 ■ VOYAGE OF THE 

One poor fellow sat at the Widow Lacinas' 
hotel, bewildered. "Forty-eight hours ago," said 
he, "I sat at my own hearth, with wife and three 
children by my side. Now I am alone in the 
world ! Even my poor house, such as it was, is 
pulled down." This man, I say, had troubles; 
surely was his " house pulled down " ! 

There was no escaping the poison or keeping it 
off, except by disinfectants, and by keeping the 
system regular, for it soon spread over all the land 
and the air was full of it. Remedies sold so high 
that many must have perished without the test of 
medicinal aid to cure their disease. A cry went 
up against unprincipled druggists who were over- 
charging for their drugs, but nothing more was 
done to check their greed. Camphor sold as high 
as four dollars a pound, and the druggist with a 
few hundred drops of laudanum and as much 
chlorodyne could travel through Europe afterwards 
on the profits of his sales. 

It was at Rosario, and at this time, that we 
buried our young friend, Captain Speck, well 
loved of young and old. His friends did not ask 
whether it was cholera or not that he died of, but 
performed the last act of friendship as became men 
of heart and feeling. The minister could not come 
that day, but Captain Speck's little friend, Garfield, 
said : " The flags were set for the angels to come 
and take the Captain to Heaven ! " Need more 
be said? 



LIBERDADE. 27 

And the flags blew out all day. 

Then it became us to erect a memorial slab, and, 
hardest of all, to write to the widow and orphans. 
This was done in a homely way, but with sympa- 
thetic, aching hearts away off there in Santa Fe. 

Our time at Rosario, after this, was spent in 
gloomy days that dragged into weeks and months, 
and our thoughts often wandered from there to a 
happy past. We preferred to dwell away from 
there and in other climes, if only in thought. 
There was, however, one happy soul among us — 
the child whose face was a sunbeam in all kinds 
of weather and at all times, happy in his ignorance 
of the evils that fall to the lot of man. 

Our sailing-day from Rosario finally came ; and, 
with a feeling as of casting off fetters, the lines 
were let go, and the bark hauled out into the 
stream, with a full cargo on board ; but, instead of 
sailing for Rio, as per charter, she was ordered by 
the Brazilian consul to Ilha Grande (Great Island), 
the quarantine station of Brazil, some sixty-two 
miles west of Rio, there to be disinfected and to 
discharge her cargo in quarantine. 

A new crew was shipped and put aboard, but 
while I was getting my papers, about noon, they 
stole one of the ship's boats and scurried off down 
the river as fast, no doubt, as they could go. I 
have not seen them or my boat since. They all 
deserted, — every mother's son of them ! taking, 



28 VOYAGE OF THE 

beside the boat, a month's advance pay from a Mr. 
Dutch Harry, a sailor boarding master, who had 
stolen my inward crew that he might, as he boasted 
afterward, " ship new hands in their places." In 
view of the fact that this vilest of crimps was the 
loser of the money, I could almost forgive the 
" galoots" for the theft of my boat. (The ship is 
usually responsible for advance wages twenty-four 
hours after she has sailed, providing, too, that the 
sailors proceed to sea in her.) Seeing, moreover, 
that they were of that stripe, unworthy the name 
of sailor, my vessel was the better without them, 
by at least what it cost to be rid of them, namely, 
the price of my boat. 

However, I will take back what I said about 
Dutch Harry being the "vilest crimp." There 
came one to Rosario worse than he, one " Pete the 
Greek," who cut off the ears of a rival boarding- 
master at the Boca, threw them into the river, then, 
making his escape to Rosario, some 180 miles 
away, established himself in the business in oppo- 
sition to the Dutchman , whom he ' ' shanghied " soon 
after, then " reigned peacefully in his stead." 

A captain who, like myself, had suffered from 
the depredations of this noted gentry, told me, in 
great glee, that he saw Harry on a bone-laden 
Italian bark outward bound, — "even then nearly 
out of the river." The last seen of him by my 
friend, the captain, was " among the branches," 



LIBERDADE. 29 

with a rope around his neck — they hanged him, 
maybe — I don't know what else the rope was for, 
or who deserved more to be hanged. The captain 
screamed with delight: — "he'll get bone soup, at 
least, for a while, instead of Santa Fe good mutton- 
chops at our expense." 

My second crew was furnished by Mr. Pete, be- 
fore referred to, and on the seventeenth of Decem- 
ber we set sail from that country of revolutions. 
Things soon dropped into working order, and I 
found reason to be pleased with the change of 
crew. We glided smoothly along down the river, 
thence wishing never again to see Rosario under 
the distressing circumstances through which she 
had just passed. 

On the following day, while slipping along be- 
fore a light, rippling breeze, a dog was espied out 
in the current, struggling in the whirlpools, which 
were rather strong, apparently unable to extricate 
himself, and was greatly exhausted. Coming up 
with him our main-tops'l was laid to the mast, and 
as we ranged by the poor thing, a sailor, plunging 
over the side in a bowline, bent a rope on to 
doggy, another one hauled him carefully on board, 
and the rescue was made. He proved to be a fine 
young retriever, and his intelligent signs of thank- 
fulness for his escape from drowning were scarcely 
less eloquent of gratitude than human spoken 
language. 



30 VOYAGE OF THE 

This pleasant incident happening on a Friday, 
suggested, of course, the name we should give 
him. His new master, to be sure, was Garfield, 
who at once said, " I guess they won't know me 
when I get home, with my new suit — and a dog !" 
The two romped the decks thenceforth, early and 
late. It was good to see them romp, while "Fri- 
day " " barkit wi' joy." 

Our pets were becoming numerous now, and 
all seemed happy, till a stow-a-way cat, one day, 
killed poor little " Pete," our canary. For ten 
years or more we had listened to the notes of this 
weebird, in many countries and climes. Sweetest 
of sweet singers, it was buried in the great Atlan- 
tic at last. A strange cat, a careless steward, and 
its tiny life was ended — and the tragedy told. 
This was indeed a great loss to us all, and was 
mourned over, — almost as the loss of a child. 

A book that has been read at sea has a near 
claim on our friendship, and is a thing one is loth 
to part with, or change, even for a better book. 
But the well-tried friend of many voyages is, oh ! 
so hard to part with at sea. A resting-place in the 
solemn sea of sameness — in the trackless ocean, 
marked only by imaginary lines and circles — is a 
cheerless spot to look to ; yet how many have treas- 
ures there I 

Returning to the voyage and journal : Our pilot 
proved incompetent, and we narrowly escaped ship- 



LIBERDADE. 3 1 

wreck in consequence at Martin Garcia Bar, a bad 
spot in the River Platte. A small schooner captain, 
observing that we needlessly followed in his track, 
and being anything but a sailor in principle, wantonly 
meditated mischief to us. While I was confidently 
trusting to my pilot, and he (the pilot) trusting to 
the schooner, one that could go over banks where 
we would strike, what did the scamp do but shave 
close to a dangerous spot, my pilot following faith- 
fully in his wake. Then, jumping upon the taftrail 
of his craft, as we came abreast the shoal, he 
yelled, like a Comanche, to my pilot to: "Port 
the helm ! " and what does my mutton-headed 
jackass do but port hard over ! The bark, of course, 
brought up immediately on the ground, as the other 
had planned, seeing which his whole pirate crew 
— they could have been little less than pirates — 
joined in roars of laughter, but sailed on, doing us 
no other harm. 

By our utmost exertions the bark was gotten of, 
not a moment too soon, however, for by the time 
we kedged her into deep water a -pamjieiro was 
upon us. She rode out the gale safe at anchor, 
thanks to an active crew. Our water tanks and 
casks were then refilled, having been emptied to 
lighten the bark from her perilous position. 

Next evening the storm went down, and by 
mutual consent our mud-pilot left, taking passage 
in a passing river craft, with his pay and our best 



32 VOYAGE OF THE 

advice, which was to ship in a dredging-machine, 
where his capabilities would be appreciated. 

Then, "paddling our own canoe," without fur- 
ther accident we reached the light-ship, passing it 
on Christmas Day. Clearing thence, before night, 
English Bank and all other dangers of the land, 
we set our course for Ilha Grande, the wind being 
fair. Then a sigh of relief was breathed by all on 
board. If ever " old briny" was welcomed, it was 
on that Christmas Day. 

Nothing further of interest occurred on the voyage 
to Brazil, except the death of the little bird already 
spoken of, which loss deeply affected us all. 

We arrived at Ilha Grande, our destination, on 
the 7th day of January, 1887, and came to anchor 
in nine fathoms of water, at about noon, within 
musket-range of the guard-ship, and within speak- 
ing distance of several vessels riding quarantine, 
with more or less communication going on among 
them all, through flags. Several ships, chafing 
under the restraint of quarantine, were " firing sig- 
nals " at the guard-ship. One Scandinavian, I 
remember, asked if he might be permitted to com- 
municate by cable with his owners in Christiana. 
The guard gave him, as the Irishman said, "an 
evasive answer," so the cablegram, I suppose, laid 
over. Another wanted police assistance ; a third 
wished to know if he could get fresh provisions — 
ten mil-reis' ($5) worth (he was a German) — nam- 



LIBERDADE. 33 

ing a dozen or more articles that he wished for, 
"and the balance in onions!" Altogether, the 
young fellows on the guard-ship were having, one 
might say, a signal practice. 

On the next day, Jan. 8th, the officers of the port 
came alongside in a steam launch, and ordered us 
to leave, saying the port had been closed that 
morning. " But we have made the voyage," I 
said. "No matter," said the guard, "leave at 
once you must, or the guard-ship will fire into you." 
This, I submit, was harsh and arbitrary treatment. 
A thunderbolt from a clear sky could not have sur- 
prised us more or worked us much greater harm — to 
be ruined in business or struck by lightning, being 
equally bad ! 

Then pointing something like a gun, Dom Pedro 
said, said he, " Vaya Homem" (hence, begone), 
"Or you'll give us cholera." So back we had to 
go, all the way to Rosario, with that load of hay — 
and trouble. But on our arrival there we found 
things better than they were when we sailed. The 
cholera had ceased — it was on the wane when we 
sailed from Rosario, and there was hardly a case of 
the dread disease in the whole country east of Cor- 
dova when we returned. That was, indeed, a com- 
fort, but it left our hardship the same, and led, 
consequently, to the total loss of the vessel after 
dragging us through harrowing trials and losses, 
as will be seen by subsequent events. 



34 VOYAGE OF THE 

CHAPTER IV. 



ILHA GRANDE DECREE RETURN TO ROSARIO 

WAITING OPENING OF THE BRAZILIAN PORTS 

SCARCITY OF SAILORS BUCCANEERS TURNED 

PILOTS SAIL DOWN THE RIVER ARRIVE 

AT ILHA GRANDE THE SECOND TIME QUAR- 
ANTINED AND FUMIGATED ADMITTED TO 

PRATIQUE SAIL FOR RIO AGAIN CHAL- 
LENGED RIO AT LAST. 



This Ilha Grande decree, really a political move- 
ment, brought great hardships on us, notwithstand- 
ing that it was merely intended by the Brazilians 
as retaliation for past offences by their Argentine 
neighbors ; not only for quarantines against Rio 
fevers, but for a discriminating duty as well, on 
sugar from the empire ; a combination of hard- 
ships on commerce — more than the sensitive 
Brazilians could stand — so chafing them, that a 
retaliation fever sprung up reaching more than 
the heat of febre marello, and they decided to 
teach their republican cousins a wholesome lesson. 
However, their wish was to retaliate without 
causing war, and it was done. In fact, closing 
ports as they did at the beginning of Argentine's 
most valuable season of exports to Brazil, and 
with the plausible excuse, namely, fear of pain 
in the stomach, so filled the Argentines with 



LIBERDADE. 35 

admiration of their equals in strategy that they on 
the earliest opportunity proclaimed two public holi- 
days in honor of bright Brazil. So the matter of 
difference ended, to the delight of all — in fire- 
crackers and champagne ! 

To the delight of all except the owner and crew 
of the Aquidneck. For our bark there was no way 
but to return where the cargo came from, at a 
ruinous loss, too, of time and money. We called at 
the first open port and wired to the owner of the 
cargo, but got no answer. Thence we sailed to 
Buenos Ayres, where I telegraphed again for 
instructions. The officers of the guard ship, upon 
receiving my report from Brazil, were convulsed 
with laughter, while I ! I confess it — could not 
see the joke. After waiting two days, this diplo- 
matic reply came from the owner of the cargo : 
" Act as the case may require." Upon this matter 
I had several opinions. One person suggested 
that the case required me to pitch the whole cargo 
into the sea ! This friend, I may mention, was 
from Boston. 

I have ever since regretted, however, that I did 
not take his advice. There seemed to be no pro- 
tection for the vessel, the law that a ship must be 
allowed to live was unheeded, in fact this law was 
reversed and there were sharpers and beechcombers 
at every turn ready to take advantage of one's mis- 
fortunes or even drive one to despair. I concluded, 



36 VOYAGE OF THE 

finally, to shake the lot of them, and proceed- 
ing up the Parena, moored again at the berth 
where, a few weeks before, we had taken in the 
cargo. Spans and tackle were rigged, and all was 
made ready to discharge. It was now, " Come 
on, McCarthy, or McCarthy, come on!" I 
didn't care which, I had one right on my side, 
and I kept that always in view ; namely, the right 
to discharge the cargo where I had first re- 
ceived it; but where the money to buy ballast and 
pay other charges was to come from I could not 
discover. 

My merchant met me in great concern at my 
" misfortunes," but " carramba !" [zounds] said he, 
" my own losses are great." It required very little 
reasoning to show me that the least expensive 
course was the safest one for me to adopt, and my 
merchant offering enough to pay the marketing, I 
found it wisest not to disturb the cargo, but to lay 
up instead with it in the vessel and await the re- 
opening of the Brazilian ports. This I did. 

My merchant, Don Manuel, is said to be worth 
millions of -pesos. The foundation of his wealth 
was laid by peddling charcoal, carrying it at first, 
to his credit be it said, on his back, and was then 
a good fellow. Many a hard bargain has he 
waged since, and is now a " Don," living in a 
$90,000 house. The Don doesn't peddle charcoal 
any more. 



LIBERDADE. 37 

Moored at Rosario, waiting, waiting ; but all of 
us well in body, and myself finally less agitated in 
mind. My old friend, Don Manuel, seems better 
also; he " may yet purge and live clean like a 
gentleman." 

I found upon our return to Rosario that some of 
the old hands were missing ; laid low by the 
scourge, to make room for others, and some were 
spared who would have been less lamented. 
Among all the ship brokers that I knew at Rosa- 
rio, and I knew a great many, not one was taken 
away. They all escaped, being, it was thought, 
epidemic-proof. There was my broker, Don 
Christo Christiano — called by Don Manuel " El 
Sweaga "(the Swede) — whomnothing could strike 
with penetrative force, except a commission. 

At last, April 9th, 1887, news came that the 
Brazilian ports w r ere open. Cholera had long 
since disappeared in Santa Fe and Buenos Ayres. 
The Brazilians had established their own beef-dry- 
ing factories, and could now afford to open their ports 
to competition. This made a great stir among the 
ships. Crews were picked up here and there, out 
of the few brothels that had not been pulled down 
during the cholera, and out of the streets or from 
the fields. Some, too, came in from the bush. 
Mixed among them were many that had been let 
out of the prisons all over the country, so that the 
scourge should not be increased by over-crowded 



38 VOTAGE OF THE 

jails. Of six who shipped with me, four had been 
so released from prison, where they had been 
serving for murder or highway robbery ; all this I 
learned when it was too late. I shall have occa- 
sion before long to speak of these again ! 

Well, we unmoored and dropped down the river 
a few miles the first day ; with this crew, the hard- 
est looking set that ever put foot on a ship of mine, 
and with a swarthy Greek pilot that would be 
taken for a pirate in any part of the world. The 
second mate, who shipped also at Rosario, was 
not less ill-visaged, and had, in addition to his 
natural ugly features, a deep scar across his face, 
suggestive of a heavy sabre stroke ; a mark which, 
I thought upon further acquaintance, he had prob- 
ably merited. I could not make myself easy upon 
the first acquaintance of my new and decidedly 
ill-featured crew. So, early the first evening I 
brought the bark to anchor, and made all snug 
before dark for prudent reasons. Next morning, 
the Greek, instead of getting the bark underweigh, 
as I expected him to do, came to me, demanding 
more pay for his services, and thinking, may-be, 
that I could not do without him, demanded unless 
I chose to pay considerably in excess of his regular 
dues, to be put on shore. I took the fellow at his 
first bounce. He and his grip-sack were landed 
on the bank there and then, with but little " pala- 
ver " over it. It was then said, so I learned after, 






LIBERDADE. 39 

that " old S " would drop into the wake of 

some ship, and save his pilotage ; in fact, they 
didn't know "what else he could do," as the pilots 
were then all engaged for other vessels. 

The money was taken care of all right, and so 
was the Aquidneck ! By daylight of the following 
morning she was underweigh, and under full sail 
at the head of a fleet of piloted vessels, and, being 
the swiftest sailer, easily kept the lead, and was 
one of the vessels that did not " romjie el banco" 
as was predicted by all the pilots, while they 
hunched their shoulders above their ears, exclaim- 
ing, " No -practico, no ■posseblal''' This was my 
second trip down the Parana, it is true, and I had 
been on other rivers as wonderful as this one, and, 
had moreover, read Mark Twain's " Life on the 
Mississippi," which gives no end of information on 
river currents, wind-reefs, sand-reefs, alligator- 
water, and all that is useful to know about rivers, 
so that I was confident of my ability ; all that had 
been required was the stirring-up that I got from 
the impertinent pilot, or buccaneer, whichever is 
proper to call him — one thing certain, he was no 
true sailor ! 

A strong, fair wind on the river, together with 
the current, in our favor, carried us flying down 
the channel, while we kept the lead, with the Stars 
and Stripes waving where they ought always to be 
seen ; namely, on the ship in the van ! So the duffers 



40 VOYAGE OF THE 

followed us, instead of our following them, and on we 
came, all clear, with the good wishes of the officers 
and the crews. But the pilots drawing their shoul- 
ders up, and repeating the refrain, " No -practico, 
no ■posseblaP'' cursed us bitterly, and were in a 
vile mood, I was told, cursing more than usual, 
and that is saying a great deal, for all will agree 
who have heard them, that the average "Dago" 
pilot is the most foul-mouthed thing afloat. 

Down the river and past the light-ship we came 
once more, this time with no halt to make, no 
backing sails to let a pilot off, nothing at all to stop 
us ; we spread all sail to a favorable breeze, and 
reached Ilha Grande eight days afterward, beating 
the whole fleet by two days. Garfield kept strict 
account of this. He was on deck when we made 
the land, a dark and foggy night it was ! nothing 
could be seen but the dimmest outline of a head- 
land through the haze. I knew the place, I 
thought, and Garfield said he could smell land, fog 
or coal-tar. This, it will be admitted, was reassur- 
ing. A school of merry porpoises that gamboled 
under the bows while we stood confidently in for 
the land, diving and crossing the bark's course in 
every direction, also guarded her from danger. I 
knew that so long as deep-sea porpoises kept with 
us we had nothing to fear of the ground. When 
the lookout cried, " Porpoises gone," we turned the 
bark's head off shore, backed the main-tops'l, and 



LIBERDADE. 4 1 

sent out the " pigeon "(lead). A few grains of 
sand and one soft, delicate white shell were brought 
up out of fourteen fathoms of water. We had but 
to heed these warnings and guides, and our course 
would be tolerably clear, dense and all as the fog 
and darkness was. 

The lead was kept constantly going as we sailed 
along in the intense darkness, till the headland of 
our port was visible through the haze of gray 
morning. What Garfield had smelled, I may men- 
tion, turned out to be coal-tar, a pot of which had 
been capsized on deck by the leadsman, in the 
night. 

By daylight in the morning, April 29, we had 
found the inner entrance to Ilha Grande, and sailed 
into the harbor for the second time with this cargo 
of hay. It was still very foggy, and all day heavy 
gusts of wind came down through the gulches in the 
mountains, laden with fog and rain. 

Two days later, the weather cleared up, and our 
friends began to come in. They found us there all 
right, anchored close under the highest mountain. 

Eight days of sullen gloom and rain at this 
place ; then brimstone smoke and fire turned on to 
us, and we were counted healthy enough to be 
admitted to -pratique in Rio, where we arrived May 
nth, putting one more day between ourselves and 
our friendly competitors, who finally arrived safe, 
all except one, the British bark " Dublin." She 



42 VOYAGE OF THE 

was destroyed by fire between the two ports. The 
crew was rescued by Captain Lunt, and brought 
safe into Rio next day. 

At the fort entrance to the harbor of Rio we 
were again challenged and brought to, all standing, 
on the bar ; the tide running like a mill race at 
the time brought the bark aback on her cables with 
a force, nearly cutting her down. 

The Aquidneck it would seem had outsailed the 
telegram which should have preceded her ; it was 
nevertheless, my imperative duty to obey the orders 
of the port authorities which, however, should have 
been tempered with reason. It was easy for them 
in the fort to say, " Come to, or we'll sink you," but 
we in the bark, between two evils, came near being 
sunk by obeying the order. 

Formerly, when a vessel was challenged at this 
fort, one, two or three shots, if necessary to bring 
her to, were fired, at a cost to the ship, if she were 
not American, of fifteen shillings for the first shot, 
thirty for the second, and sixty for the third ; but, 
for American ships, the sixty shilling shot was 
fired first — Americans would always have the 
best! 

After all the difficulties were cleared away, the 
tardy telegram received, and being again identified 
by the officers, we weighed anchor for the last 
time on this voyage, and went into our destined 
port, the spacious and charming harbor of Rio- 



LIBERDADE. 43 



CHAPTER V. 



AT RIO SAIL FOR ANTONINA WITH MIXED CARGO 

A PAMPEIRO SHIP ON BEAM-ENDS CARGO 

STILL MORE MIXED TOP-GALLANT-MASTS 

CARRIED AWAY ARRIVE SAFELY AT AN- 
TONINA. 



The cargo was at last delivered, and no one 
made ill over it. A change of rats also was made ; 
at Rio those we brought in gave place to others 
from the Dom Pedro Docks where we moored. 
Fleas, too, skipped about in the hay as happy as 
larks, and nearly as big; and all the other live 
stock that we brought from Rosario — goodness 
knows of what kind and kith, arrived well and 
sound from over the water, notwithstanding the 
fumigations and fuss made at the quarantine. 

Had the little microbes, been with us indeed, the 
Brazilians would not have turned us away as they 



44 VOYAGE OF THE 

did, from the doors of an hospital ! for they are 
neither a cruel or cowardly people. To turn sick- 
ness away would be cruel and stupid, to say the 
least ! What we were expelled for I have already 
explained. 

After being so long in gloomy circumstances we 
felt like making the most of pleasant Rio ! There- 
fore on the first fine day after being docked, we 
sallied out in quest of city adventure, and brought 
up first in Ouvidor — the Broadway of Rio, 
where my wife bought a tall hat, which I saw 
nights looming up like a dreadful stack of hay, 
the innocent cause of much trouble to me, and I 
declared, by all the great islands — in my dreams — 
that go back with it I would not, but would pitch 
it, first, into the sea. 

I get nervous on the question of quarantines. I 
visit the famous Botanical Gardens with my 
family, and I tremble with fear lest we are fumi- 
gated at some station on the way. However, our 
time at Rio is pleasantly spent in the main, and 
on the first day of June, we set sail once more for 
Paranagua and Antonina of pleasant recollections; 
partly laden with flour, kerosene, pitch, tar, rosin 
and wine, three pianos, I remember, and one steam 
engine and boiler, all as ballast; "freight free," 
so the bill of lading read, and further, that the ship 
should " not be responsible for leakage, breakage, 
or rust." This clause was well for the ship, as 



LIBERDADE. 45 

one of those wild -pamfeiros overtook her, on the 
voyage, throwing her violently on her beam-ends, 
and shaking the motley cargo into a confused and 
mixed-up mess. The vessel remaining tight, how- 
ever, no very serious damage was done, and she 
righted herself after awhile, but without her lofty 
topgallant-masts, which went with a crash at the 
first blast of the tempest. 

This incident made a profound impression on 
Garfield. He happened to be on deck when the 
masts were carried away, but managed to scamper 
off without getting hurt. Whenever a vessel hove 
in sight after that having a broken spar or a torn 
sail? it was " a fampeiroed ship." 

The storm, though short, was excessively severe, 
and swept over Paranagua and Antonina with 
unusual violence. The owner of the pianos, I 
was told, prayed for us, and regretted that his 
goods were not insured. But when they were 
landed, not much the worse for their tossing about, 
old Strichine, the owner (that was his name or 
near that, strychnine the boys called him, because 
his singing was worse than " rough on rats," they 
said, a bit of juvenile wit that the artist very sensibty 
let pass unheeded), declared that the ship was a 
good one, and that her captain was a good pilot ; 
and, as neither freight nor insurance had been paid, 
he and his wife would feast us on music ; having 
learned that I especially was fond of it. They had 



46 VOYAGE OF THE 

screeched operas for a lifetime in Italy, but I didn't 
care for that. As arranged, therefore, I was on 
deck at the appointed time and place, to stay at all 
hazards. 

The pianos, as I had fully expected, were 
fearfully out of tune — suffering, I should say, 
from the effects of seasickness ! 

So much so that I shall always believe this 
opportunity was seized upon by the artist to avenge 
the damage to his instruments, which, indeed, I 
could not avert, in the storm that we passed 
through. The good Strichine and his charming 
wife were astonished at the nnmber of opera airs I 
could name. And they tried to persuade me to sing 
II Trovatore ; but concluding that damage enough 
had already been done, I refrained, thatis, I refracted 
my song. 



LIBERDADE. 47 



CHAPTER VI. 



MUTINY ATTEMPT AT ROBBERY AND MURDER 

FOUR AGAINST ONE TWO GO DOWN BEFORE A 

RIFLE ORDER RESTORED. 



July 23d, 1887, brings me to a sudden and shock- 
ing point in the history of the voyage that I fain 
would forget, but that will not be possible. Between 
the hours of 11 and 12 p. m. of this day I was 
called instantly to defend my life and all that is 
dear to a man. 

The bark, anchored alone in the harbor of Anto- 
nina, was hid from the town in the darkness of a 
night that might well have covered the blackest of 
tragedies. My pirates thought their opportunity 
had surely come to capture the Aquidneck, and this 
they undertook to do. The ringleader of the gang 
was a burly scoundrel, whose boast was that he had 
" licked " both the mate and second mate of the 
last vessel he had sailed in, and had "busted the 
captain in the jaw " when they landed in Rio, where 
the vessel was bound, and where, of course, the 



48 VOYAGE OF THE 

captain had discharged him. It was there the 
villain shipped with me, in lieu of one of the Rosario 
gang who had been kindly taken in charge by the 
guard at Ilha Grande and brought to Rio to be tried 

is o 

before the American Consul for insubordination. 
Said he, one day when I urged him to make haste 
and help save the topsails in a squall, " Oh, I'm no 
soft-horn to be hurried !" It was the time the bark 
lost her topgallant-mast and was cast on her beam- 
ends on the voyage to Antonina, already told; it 
was, in fact, no time for loafing, and this braggart 
at a decisive word hurried aloft with the rest to do 
his duty. What I said to him was meant for ear- 
nest, and it cowed him. It is only natural to think 
that he held a grudge against me forever after, and 
waited only for his opportunity ; knowing, too, that 
I was the owner of the bark, and supposed to have 
money. He was heard to say in a rum-mill a day 
or two before the attack that he would find the 

money and his life, too. His chum and bosom 

friend had come pretty straight from Palermo pen- 
itentiary at Buenos Ayres when he shipped with 
me at Rosario. 

It was no secret on board the bark that he had 
served two years for robbing, and cutting a ranch- 
man's throat from ear to ear. These records, which 
each seemed to glory in, were verified in both cases. 

I met the captain afterwards who had been 
"busted in the jaw" — Captain Roberts, of Balti- 



LIBERDADE. 49 

more, a quiet gentleman, with no evil in his heart 
for any one, and a man, like myself, well along in 
years. 

Two of the gang, old Rosario hands, had served 
for the lesser offence of robbery alone — they 
brought up in the rear ! The other two of my fore- 
mast hands — one a very respectable Hollander, 
the other a little Japanese sailor, a bright, young 
chap — had been robbed and beaten by the four 
ruffians, and then threatened so that they deserted 
to the forest instead of bringing a complaint of the 
matter to me, for fear, as the Jap expressed it after- 
wards, when there was no longer any danger, — 
for fear the "la-la-long mans (thieves) would 
makee killo mi ! " 

The ringleader bully, had made unusual efforts 
to create a row when I came on board early in the 
evening ; however, as he had evidently been drink- 
ing, I passed it off as best I could for the natural 
consequence of rum, and ordered him forward ; 
instead of doing as he was bid, when I turned to 
hand my wife to the cabin he followed me threat- 
eningly to the break of the poop. What struck me 
most, however, was the conduct of his chum, who 
was sober, but in a very unusual high, gleeful 
mood. It was knock -off time when I came along 
to where he was seizing off the mizzen topgallant 
backstay, the last of the work of refitting the late 
fiamfietro damage ; and the mate being elsewhere 



5° VOYAGE OF THE 

engaged, I gave the usual order to quit work. 
"Knock off," I said to the man, "and put away 
your tools. The bark's rigging looks well," I 
added, " and if to-morrow turns out fine, all will be 
finished ; " whereupon the fellow laughed imperti- 
nently in my face, repeating my words, " All will 
be finished !" under his breath, adding, "before 
to-morrow ! " This was the first insult offered by 
the "Bloodthirsty Tommy," who had committed 
murder only a short time before ; but I had been 
watched by the fellow, with a cat-like eye at every 
turn. 

The full significance of his words on this occasion 
came up to me only next morning, when I saw him 
lying on the deck with a murderous weapon in his 
hand! I was not expecting a cowardly, night 
attack, nevertheless I kept my gun loaded. I went 
to sleep this night as usual, forgetting the unpleas- 
ant episode as soon as my head touched the pillow ; 
but my wife, with finer instincts, kept awake. It 
was well for us all that she did so. Near mid- 
night, my wife, who had heard the first footstep on 
the poop-deck, quietly wakened me, saying, "We 
must get up, and look out for ourselves ! Some- 
thing is going wrong on deck ; the boat tackle has 
been let go with a great deal of noise, and — O ! 
don't go that way on deck. I heard some one on 
the cabin steps, and heard whispering in the for- 
ward entry." 



LIBERDADE. 5 1 

" You must have been dreaming," I said. 

" No, indeed ! " said she ; " I have not been asleep 
yet ; don't go on deck by the forward companion- 
way ; they are waiting there ; I am sure, for I 
heard the creaking of the loose step in the entry." 

If my wife has not been dreaming, thought I, 
there can be no possible doubt of a plot. 

Nothing justifies a visit on the poop deck after 
working hours, except a call to relieve sickness, or 
for some other emergency, and then secrecy or 
stealth is non-permissible. 

It may be here explained to persons not familiar 
with ships, that the sailors' quarters are in the for- 
ward part of the ship where they (the sailors) are 
supposed to be found after working hours, in port, 
coming never abaft the mainmast ; hence the term 
" before the mast." 

My first impulse was to step on deck in the 
usual way, but the earnest entreaties of my wife 
awoke me, like, to a danger that should be investi- 
gated with caution. Arming myself, therefore, 
with a stout carbine repeater, with eight ball car- 
tridges in the magazine, I stepped on deck abaft 
instead of forward, where evidently I had been 
expected. I stood rubbing my eyes for a moment, 
inuring them to the intense darkness, when a coarse 
voice roared down the forward companion-way to me 
to come on deck. " Why don't ye come on deck like 
a man, and order yer men forid?" was the salute 



52 VOYAGE OF THE 

that I got, and was the first that I heard with my 
own ears, and it was enough. To tell the whole 
story in a word, I knew that I had to face a mutiny. 

I could do no less than say: ''Go forward 
there ! " 

" Yer there, are ye?" said the spokesman, as 
with an oath, he bounded toward me, cursing as 
he came. 

Again I ordered him forward, saying, "I am 
armed, — if you come here I will shoot!" But I 
forbore to do so instantly, thinking to club him to 
the deck instead, for my carbine was a heavy one. 
I dealt him a blow as he came near, sufficient I 
thought, to fell an ox ; but it had, apparently, no 
effect, and instantly he was inside of my guard. 
Then grasping me by the throat, he tried to force 
me over the taffrail, and cried, exultingly, as he 
felt me give way under his brute strength, " Now, 
you damn fool, shoot!" at the same time drawing 
his knife to strike. 

I could not speak, or even breathe, but my car- 
bine spoke for me, and the ruffian fell with the 
knife in his hand which had been raised against 
me ! Resolution had proved more than a match 
for brute force, for I then knew that not only my 
own life but also the lives of others depended on me 
at this moment. Nothing daunted, the rest came 
on, like hungry wolves. Again I cried, "Go for- 
ward !" But thinking, maybe, that my rifle was a 



LIBERDADE. 53 

single shooter, or that I could not load it so quick, 
the order was disregarded. 

"What if I don't go forward?" was " Bloody 
Tommy's " threatening question, adding, as he 
sprang toward me, " I've got this for you ! " but 
fell instantly as he raised his hand ; and there on 
the deck, was ended, his misadventure ! and like 
the other he fell with deadly knife in his hand. 
I was now all right. The dread of cold steel had 
left me when I freed myself from the first would-be 
assassin, and I only wondered how many more 
would persist in trying to take my life. But recol- 
lecting there were only two mutineers left, and 
that I had still six shots in the magazine of my 
rifle, and one already in the chamber, I stood 
ready with the hammer raised, and my finger on 
the trigger, confident that I would not be put 
down. 

There was no further need of extreme measures, 
however, for order was now restored, though two 
of the assailants had skulked away in the dark. 

How it was that I regained my advantage, after 
once losing it, I hardly know ; but this I am cer- 
tain of, that being down I was not to be spared. 
Then desperation took the place of fear, and I felt 
more than a match for all that could come against 
me. I had no other than serene feelings, how- 
ever, and had no wish to pursue the two pirates 
that fled. 



54 VOYAGE OF THE 

Immediately after the second shot was fired, and 
I found myself once more master of my bark, the 
remaining two came aft again, at my bidding this 
time, and in an orderly manner, it may be believed. 

It is idle to say what I would or would not have 
given to have the calamity averted, or, in other 
words, to have had a crew of sailors, instead of a 
gang of cut-throats. 

However, when the climax came, I had but one 
course to pursue, this I resolutely followed. A 
man will defend himself and his family to the last, 
for life is sweet, aftei all. 

It was significant, the court thought afterwards, 
that while my son had not had time to dress, they 
all had on their boots except the one who fell last, 
and he was in his socks, with no boots on. It was 
he who had waited for me as I have already said, 
on the cabin steps that I usually passed up and 
down on, but this time avoided. Circumstantial 
evidence came up in abundance to make the case 
perfectly clear to the authorities. There are few 
who will care to hear more about a subject so ab- 
horrent to all, and I care less to write about it. I 
would not have said this much, but for the enter- 
prise of a rising department clerk, who, seeing the 
importance of telling to the world what he knew, 
and seeing also some small emolument in the 
matter, was, I believe prompted to augment the 
consular dispatches, thus obliging me to fight the 



LIBERDADE. 55 

battle over. However, not to be severe on the 
poor clerk, I will only add that no indignities were 
offered me by the authorities through all the strict 
investigation that followed the tragedy. 

The trial being for justice and not for my money 
the case was soon finished. 

I sincerely hope that I may never again encoun- 
ter such as those who came from the jails to bring 
harm and sorrow in their wake. 

The work of loading was finished soon after the 
calamity to my bark, and a Spanish sailing-master 
was engaged to take her to Montevideo ; my son 
Victor going as flag captain. 

I piloted the Aqudineck out of the harbor, and 
left her clear of the buoy, looking as neat and trim 
as sailor could wish to see. All the damage done 
by the late -pamfeiro had been repaired, new top- 
gallant masts rigged, and all made ataunto. I saw 
my handsome bark well clear of the dangers of the 
harbor limits, then in sorrow I left her and paddled 
back to the town, for I was on parole to appear, as 
I have said, for trial ! That was the word ; I can 
find no other name for it — let it stand ! 



56 VOYAGE OF THE 



CHAPTER VII. 



JOIN THE BARK AT MONTEVIDEO A GOOD CREW 

SMALL-POX BREAKS OUT BEAR UP FOR MAL- 

DONADO AND FLORES NO AID DEATH OF 

SAILORS TO MONTEVIDEO IN DISTRESS 

QUARANTINE. 



As soon as the case was over I posted on for 
Montevideo by steamer, where the bark had arrived 
only a few days ahead of me. I found her already 
stripped to a gantline though, preparatory to a long 
stay in port. I had given Victor strict orders to 
interfere in no way with the Spaniard, but to let 
him have full charge in nearly everything. I 
could have trusted the lad with full command, young 
as he was ; but there was a strange crew of foreign- 
ers which might, as often happens, require maturer 
judgment to manage than to sail the vessel. As it 
proved, however, even the cook was in many ways 
a better man than the sailing-master. 



LIBERDADE. 57 

Victor met me with a long face, and the sail- 
ors wore a quizzical look as I came over the 
vessel's side. One of them, in particular, whom 
I shall always remember, gave me a good- 
humored greeting, along with his shake of the 
head, that told volumes ; and next day was aloft, 
crossing yards, cheerfully enough. I found my 
Brazilian crew to be excellent sailors, and things 
on board the Aquidneck immediately began to 
assume a brighter appearance, aloft and alow. 

Cargo was soon discharged, other cargo taken 
in, and the bark made ready for sea. My crew, I 
say, was a good one ; but, poor fellows, they were 
doomed to trials — the worst within human experi- 
ence, many of them giving up to grim death before 
the voyage was ended. Too often one bit of bad 
luck follows another. This rule brought us in 
contact with one of these small officials at Monte- 
video, better adapted to home life ; one of those 
knowing, perhaps, more than need a cow-boy, but 
not enough for consul. This official, managing to 
get word to my crew that a change of master dis- 
solved their contract, induced them to come on shore 
and claim pay for the whole voyage and passage 
home on a steamer besides, the same as though 
the bark had been sold. 

What overwhelming troubles may come of hav- 
ing incompetent officials in places of trust, the 
sequel will show. This unwise, even stupid inter- 



$S VOYAGE OF THE 

ference, was the indirect cause of the sufferings 
and deaths among the crew which followed. 

I was able to show the consul and his clerk that 
sailors are always engaged for the ship, and never 
for the master, and that a change of master did 
not in any way affect their contract. However, I 
paid the crew off, and then left it to their option to 
re-ship or not, for they were all right, they had 
been led to do what they did, and I knew that they 
wanted to get home, and it was there that the bark 
was going, direct. 

All signed the articles again, except one, a long- 
haired Andalusian, whom I would not have longer 
at any price. The wages remained the same as 
before, and all hands returned to their duty cheer- 
ful and contented — but pending the consul's decis- 
ion, (which, by the way, I decided for him) they 
had slept in a contagioned house, where, alas, they 
contracted small-pox of the worst type. 

We were now homeward bound. All the " run- 
away rum " that could be held out by the most 
subtle crimps of Montevideo could not induce these 
sober Brazilian sailors to desert their ship. 

These "crimps" are land-sharks who get the 
sailors drunk when they can, and then rob them of 
their advance money. The sailors are all paid in 
advance ; sometimes they receive in this way most 
of their wages for the voyage, which they make 
after the money is spent, or wasted, or stolen. 



LIBERDADE. 59 

We all know what working for dead horse 
means — sailors know too well its significance. 

As sailing day drew near, a half-day liberty to 
each watch was asked for by the men, who wanted 
to make purchases for their friends and relatives at 
Paranagua. Permission to go on shore was readily 
granted, and I was rewarded by seeing every one 
return to his ship at the time promised, and everyone 
sober. On the morrow, which was sailing day, every 
man was at his post and all sang " Cheerily, ho !" 
and were happy ; all except one, who complained of 
slight chills and a fever, but said that he had been 
subject to this, and that with a dose of quinine he 
would soon be all right again. 

It appeared a small matter. Two days later 
though, his chills turned to something which I 
knew less about. The next day, three more men 
went down with rigor in the spine, and at the base 
of the brain. I knew by this that small-pox was 
among us ! 

We bore up at once, for Maldonado, which was 
the nearest port, the place spoken of in "Gulliver's 
Travels," though Gulliver, I think, is mistaken as 
to its identity and location, arriving there before 
a gathering storm that blew wet and cold from 
the east. Our signals of distress, asking for immedi- 
ate medical aid were set and flew thirty-six hours 
before any one came to us; then a scared Yahoo 
(the country was still inhabited by Yahoos) in a boat 



60 VOYAGE OF THE 

rowed by two other animals, came aboard, and said, 
" Yes, your men have got small-pox." " Vechega" 
he called it, but I understood the lingo of the Yahoo 
very well, I could even speak a few words of it and 
comprehend the meanings. " Vechega V he bel- 
lowed to his mates alongside, and, turning to me, 
he said, in Yahoo : "You must leave the port at 
once," then jumping into his boat he hurried away, 
along with his scared companions.* 

To leave a port in our condition was hard 
lines, but my perishing crew could get no suc- 
cor at Maldonado, so we could do nothing 
but leave, if at all able to do so. We were 
indeed short-handed, but desperation lending a 
hand, the anchor was weighed and sufficient sail 

*In our discourse, Yahoo was spoken, but I write it in English 
because many of my readers would not understand the original. 
The signals that we used were made by universal code symbols. 
For example, two flags hoisted representing "P" "D" signified 
"want (or wants) immediate medical assistance." And so on, 
by hoists of two, three or four flags representing the consonants, 
our wants and wishes could be made known, each possessing 
the key to the code. 

Our commercial code of signals is so invented and arranged 
that no matter what tongues may meet, perhaps those utterly 
incomprehensible by word of mouth, yet by these signs com- 
munications may be carried on with great facility. The whole 
system is so beautifully simple that a child of ordinary intelli- 
gence can understand it. Even the Yahoos were made to com- 
prehend — when not color-blind. And, lest they should forget 
their lesson, a gunboat is sent out every year or two, to fire it 
into them with cannon. 



IJBERDADE. 6 1 

set on the bark to clear the inhospitable port. 
The wind blowing fair out of the harbor carried us 
away from the port toward Flores Island, for which 
we now headed in sore distress. A gale, long to 
be remembered, sprung suddenly up, stripping off 
our sails like autumn leaves, before the bark was 
three leagues from the place. We hadn't strength 
to clew up, so her sails were blown away, and she 
went flying before the mad tempest under bare 
poles. A snow-white sea-bird came for shelter 
from the storm, and poised on the deck to rest. 
The incident filled my sailors with awe ; to them 
it was a portentious omen, and in distress they 
dragged themselves together and prostrate before 
the bird, prayed the Holy Virgin to ask God to 
keep them from harm. The rain beat on us in tor- 
rents, as the bark tossed and reeled ahead, and 
day turned black as night. The gale was from 
E. S. E., and our course lay W. N. W. nearly, or 
nearly before it. I stood at the wheel with my 
shore clothes on, I remember, for I hadn't yet had 
time to change them for waterproofs ; this of itself 
was small matter, but it reminds me now that I 
was busy with other concerns. I was always a 
a good helmsman, and I took in hand now, the 
steering of the bark in the storm — and I gave 
directions to Victor and the carpenter how to mix 
disinfectants for themselves, and medicines for 
the sick men. The medicine chest was fairly 
supplied. 



62 VOYAGE OF THE 

Flores, when seen, was but a few ship's lengths 
away. Flashes of lightning revealed the low cliffs, 
amazingly near to us, and as the bark swept by 
with great speed, the roar of the breakers on the 
shore, heard above the din of the storm, told us of 
a danger to beware. The helm was then put 
down, and she came to under the lee of the island 
like a true, obedient thing. 

Both anchors were let go, and all the chain paid 
out to both, to the bitter end, for the gale was now 
a hurricane. She walked away with her anchors 
for all that we could do, till, hooking a marine 
cable, one was carried away, and the other brought 
her head to the wind, and held her there trembling 
in the storm. 

Anxious fear lest the second cable should break 
was on our minds through the night ; but a greater 
danger was within the ship, that filled us all with 
alarm. 

Two barks not far from us that night, with pilots 
on board, w r ere lost, in trying to come through 
where the Aquidneck, without a pilot and with but 
three hands on deck to work her, came in. Their 
crews, with great difficulty, were rescued and then 
carried to Montevideo. When all had been done 
that we three could do, a light was put in the 
rigging, that flickered in the gale and went out. 
Then wet, and lame and weary, we fell down in 
our drenched clothes, to rest as we might — to 



LIBERDADE. 63 

sleep, or to listen to groans of our dying shipmates. 

When daylight came (after this, the most dis- 
mal of all my nights at sea), our signals went up 
telling of the sad condition of the crew, and beg- 
ging for medical assistance. Toward night the 
gale went down ; but, as no boat came off, a gloom 
darker than midnight settled over the crew of the 
pest-ridden bark, and in dismay they again prayed 
to be spared to meet the loved ones awaiting them 
at home. 

Our repeated signals, next day, brought the 
reply, " Stand in." Carramba! Why, we could 
hardly stand at all ; much less could we get the 
bark underway, and beat in against wind and cur- 
rent. No one knew this better than they on the 
island, for my signals had told the whole story, 
and as we were only a mile and a half from the 
shore, the flags were distinctly made out. There 
was no doubt in our minds about that ! 

Late in the day, however, a barge came out to 
us, ill-manned and ill-managed by as scared a set 
of " galoots" as ever capsized a boat, or trembled 
at a shadow ! The coxswain had more to say 
than the doctor, and the Yahoo — I forgot to men- 
tion that we were still in Yahoodom, but one would 
see that without this explanation — the Yahoo in 
the bow said more than both ; and they all took a 
stiff pull from a bottle of cachazza * the doctor 

*This cachazza is said to be death to microbes, or even to 
larger worms ; it will kill anything, in fact, except a Yahoo ! 



64 VOYAGE OF THE 

having had the start, I should say, of at least one 
or two pulls before leaving the shore, insomuch as 
he appeared braver than the rest of the crew. 

The doctor, having taken an extra horn or two, 
with Dutch courage came on board, and brought 
with him a pound of sulphur, a pint of carbolic 
acid, and some barley — enough to feed a robin 
a few times, for all of which we w r ere thank- 
ful indeed, our disinfectants being by this time 
nearly exhausted ; then, glancing at the prostrate 
men, he hurried away, as the other had done at 
Maldonado. I asked what I should do with the 
dead through the night — bury them where we 
lay? " Oh, no, no ! " cried the Yahoo in the bow ; 
but the doctor pointed significantly to the water 
alongside ! I knew what he meant 1 

That night we buried Jose, the sailor whose 
honest smile had welcomed me to my bark at 
Montevideo. I had ordered stones brought on 
deck, before dark, ostensibly to ballast the boat. 
I knew they would soon be wanted ! About mid- 
night, the cook called me in sore distress, saying 
that Jose was dying without confession ! 

So poor Jose was buried that night in the great 
river Platte ! I listened to the solemn splash that 
told of one life ended, and its work done ; but 
gloomy, and sad, and melancholy as the case was, 
I had to smile when the cook, not having well- 
secured the ballast, threw it over after his friend, 



LIBERDADE. 65 

exclaiming, "Good-bye, Jos£, good-bye!" I 
added, k ' Good-bye, good shipmate, good-bye ! I 
doubt not that you rest well ! " 

Next day, the signal from the shore was the 
same as the day before, " Stand in," in answer to 
my repeated call for help. By this time my men 
were demoralized and panic-stricken, and the poor 
fellows begged me, if the doctor would not try to 
cure them, to get a priest to confess them all. I 
saw a padre pacing the beach, and set flags asking 
him to come on board. No notice was taken of 
the signal, and we were now left entirely to our- 
selves. 

After burying one more of the crew, wc decided 
to remain no longer at this terrible place. An 
English telegraph tender passing, outward-bound, 
caught up our signals at that point, and kindly 
reported to her consul at Maldonado, who wired it 
to Montevideo. 

The wind blowing away from the shore, as may 
it always blow when friend of mine nears that 
coast, we determined to weigh anchor or slip 
cable without further loss of time, feeling assured 
that by the telegraph reports some one would be 
on the look-out for us, and that the Aquidneck 
would be towed into port if the worst should happen 
— if the rest of her crew went down. Three of us 
weighed one anchor, with its ninety fathoms of 
chain, the other had parted on the windlass in the 



66 VOl'AGE OF THE 

gale. The bark's prow was now turned toward 
Montevideo, the place we had so recently sailed 
from, full of hope and pleasant anticipation ; and 
here we were, dejected and filled with misery, 
some of our number already gone on that voyage 
which somehow seems so far away. 

At Montevideo, things were better. They did 
take my remaining sick men out of the vessel, after 
two days' delay ; my agent procuring a tug, which 
towed them in the ship's boat three hundred fath- 
oms astern. In this way they were taken toFlores 
Island, where, days and days before, they had 
been refused admittance ! They were accompan- 
ied this time by an order from the governor of 
Montevideo, and at last were taken in. Two of 
the cases were, by this time, in the favorable 
change. But the poor old cook, who stood faith- 
fully by me, and would not desert his old ship- 
mates, going with them to the Island to care for 
them to the last, took the dread disease, died of it, 
and was there buried, not far from where he him- 
self had buried his friend Jos£, a short time before. 
The death of this faithful man occurred on the day 
that the bark finally sailed seaward, by the Island. 
She was in sight from the hospital window when 
his phantom ship, that put out, carried him over 
the bar ! His widow, at Paranagua, I was told, 
on learning the fate of her husband, died of 
grief. 



LIBERDADE. 6j 

i 

The work of disinfecting the vessel, at Monte- 
video, after the sick were removed, was a source 
of speculation that was most elaborately carried on. 
Demijohns of carbolic acid were put on board, by 
the dozen, at $3.00 per demijohn, all diluted ready 
for use ; and a guardo was put on board to use it 
up, which he did religiously over his own precious 
self, in my after-cabin, as far from the end of the 
ship where the danger was as he could get. Some 
one else disinfected el proa, not he ! Abundant 
as the stuff was, I had to look sharp for enough to 
wash out forward, while aft it was knee-deep 
almost, at three dollars a jar ! The harpy that 
alighted on deck at Maldonado sent in his bill for 
one hundred dollars — I paid eighty. 

The cost to me of all this trouble in money paid 
out, irrelevantly to mention, was over a thousand 
dollars. What it cost me in health and mental 
anxiety cannot be estimated by such value. Still, 
I was not the greatest sufferer. My hardest task 
was to come, you will believe, at the gathering up 
of the trinkets and other purchases which the crew 
had made, thoughtful of wife and child at home. 
All had to be burned, or spoiled with carbolic acid ! 
A hat for the little boy here, a pair of boots for his 
mamma there, and many things for the familia all 
around — all had to be destroyed ! 



68 VOYAGE OF THE 



CHAPTER VIII 



A NEW CREW SAIL FOR ANTONINA LOAD TIM- 
BER NATIVE CANOES LOSS OF THE AQUID- 

NECK. 



After all this sad trouble was over, a new crew 
was shipped, and the Aquidneck's prow again 
turned seaward. Passing out by Flores, soon after, 
we observed the coast-guard searching, I learned, 
for a supposed sunken bark, which had appeared 
between squalls in the late gale with signals of dis- 
tress set. I was satisfied from the account that it 
was our bark which they had seen in the gale, and 
the supposed flags were our tattered sails, what 
there was left of them, streaming in the storm. But 
we did not discourage the search, as it could do no 
harm, and I thought that they might perhaps find 
something else worth knowing about. This was 
the day, as I have said, on which my faithful cook 
died, while the bark was in sight from the window 
of his sick ward. It was a bright, fine day to us. 
We cannot say that it was otherwise than bright 
to him. 



LIBERDADE. 69 

Breathing once more the fresh air of the sea, we 
set all sail for Paranagua, passing the lights on the 
coast to leave them flickering on the horizon, then 
soon out of sight. Fine weather prevailed, but with 
much head wind ; still we progressed, and rarely a 
day passed but something of the distance toward 
our port was gained. One day, however, coming 
to an island, one that was inhabited only by birds, 
we came to a stand, as if it were impossible to go 
farther on the voyage ; a spell seemed to hang over 
us. I recognized the place as one that I knew well ; 
a very dear friend had stood by me on deck, looking 
at this island, some years before. It was the last 
land that my friend ever saw. I would fain have 
sailed around it now, but a puff of fair wind coming 
sent us on our course for the time some leagues 
beyond. At sunset, though, this wind went 
down, and with the current we drifted back so 
much that by the next day we were farther off on 
the other side. However, fair wind coming again, 
we passed up inside, making thus the circuit of the 
island at last. 

More or less favorable winds thenceforth filled 
our sails, till at last our destined port was gained. 

The little town of Antonina, where my wife and 
Garfield had remained over during this voyage, 
twelve miles up the bay from Paranagua, soon after 
our arrival, was made alive with the noise of children 
marching to children's own music, my " Yawcob" 



70 VOYAGE OF THE 

heading the band with a brand-new ninety-cent 
organ, the most envied fellow of the whole crowd. 
Sorrows of the past took flight, or were locked in 
the closet at home, the fittest place for past misfor- 
tunes. 

A truly hard voyage for us all was that to Monte- 
video ! The survivors reached home after a while. 
Their features were terribly marked and disfigured ; 
so much so that I did not know them till they ac- 
costed me when we met. 

I look back with pleasure to the good character 
of my Brazilian sailors, regretting the more their 
hard luck and sad fate ! We may meet again ! 
j^iiiem sabe! 

Getting over all this sad business as best we could, 
we entered on the next venture, which was to pur- 
chase and load a cargo of the famous Brazilian wood. 
The Aquidneck was shifted to an arm of the bay, 
where she was moored under the lee of a virgin 
forest, twenty minutes' canoe ride from the village 
of Guarakasava, where she soon began to load. 

The timber of this country, generally very heavy, 
is nevertheless hauled by hand to the water, where, 
lashed to canoes, it is floated to the ship. 

These canoes, formed sometimes from mam- 
moth trees, skillfully shaped and dug out with care, 
are at once the carriage and cariole of the family 
to the citio, or the rice to mill. Roads are hardly 
known where the canoe is available ; men, women 



LIBERDADE. J I 

and children are consequently alike, skilled in 
the art of canoeing to perfection, almost. There 
are no carriages to speak of in such places, even 
a saddle horse about the waterfront is a rara avis. 
There was, indeed one horse at Guarakasava — 
the owner of it was very conspicuous. 

The family canoe just spoken of, has the ca- 
pacity, often, of several tons, is handsomely dec- 
orated with carvings along the topsides, and is 
painted, as the " Geordie " would say, "in none o' 
your gaudy colors, but in good plain red or blue" 
— sometimes, however, they are painted green. 

The cost of these handsome canoes are, say, 
from $250 down in price and size, from the grand 
turnout to the one man craft which may be pur- 
chased for five mil reis ($2.50). 

From the greatest to the smallest they are cared 
for, with almost an affectionate care, and are made 
to last many years. 

One thing else which even the poorest Brazilian 
thinks much of is his affectionate wife who literally 
and figuratively is often in the same boat with her hus- 
band, pulling against the stream. Family ties are 
strong in Brazil and the sweet flower of friendship 
thrives in its sunny clime. The system of land 
and sea breezes prevail on the coast from Cape 
Frio to Saint Catherine with great regularity most 
of the year; the sail is therefore used to good 
advantage by the almost amphibious inhabitants 



72 VOYAGE OF THE 

along the coast who love the water and take to it 
like ducks and natural born sailors. 

The wind falling light they propel their canoes 
by paddle or long pole with equal facility. The 
occupants standing, in the smaller ones, force 
them along at a great speed. The larger ones, 
when the wind does not serve, are pulled by 
banks of oars which are fastened to stout pegs 
in the gunwail with grummits, that fit loosely over 
the oars so as to allow them free play in the hand 
of the waterman. 

Curling the water with fine, shapely prows as 
they dart over the smooth waters of the bays and 
rivers, these canoes present a picture of unrivalled 
skill and grace. 

I find the following entry in my dairy made near 
the close of transactions at Guarakasava which in 
the truthful word of an historian I am bound to 
record, if only to show my prevailing high opinion 
of the natives while I was among them : — 

" Guarakasava, Dec. 20th. 

Heretofore I have doted on native Brazilian 
honesty as well as national seamanship and skill 
in canoes but my dream of a perfect paradise is 
now unsettled forever. I find, alas ! that even here 
the fall of Adam is felt : Taking in some long poles 
to-day the negro tallyman persisted in counting 
twice the same pole. When the first end entered 
the port it was " umo" (one) ; when the last end 



LIBERDADE. 73 

disappeared into the ship he would sing out " does" 
(two). 

I had no serious difficulty over the matter, but 
left Guarakasava with that hurt feeling which 
comes of being over pursuaded that one and one 
make four. 

We spent Christmas of 1887 at Guarakasava. 
The bark was loaded soon after, and when pro- 
ceeding across the bay where currents and wind 
caught her foul, near a dangerous sand bar, she 
misstayed and went on the strand. The anchor 
was let go to club her. It wouldn't hold in the 
treacherous sands ; so she dragged and stranded 
broadside on, where open to the sea, a strong swell 
came in that raked her fore and aft, for three days, the 
waves dashing over her groaning hull the while till 
at last her back was broke and — why not add heart 
as well ! for she lay now undone. After twenty-five 
years of good service the Aquidneck here ended 
her days ! 

I had myself carried load on load, but alas ! I 
could not carry a mountain ; and was now at the 
end where my best skill and energy could not avail. 
What was to be done? What could be done? We 
had indeed the appearance of shipwrecked people, 
away, too, from home. 

This was no time to weep, for the lives of all the 
crew were saved ; neither was it a time to laugh, 
for our loss was great. 



74 VOYAGE OF THE 

But the sea calmed down, and I sold the wreck, 
which floated off at the end of the storm. And 
after paying the crew their wages out of the pro- 
ceeds had a moiety left for myself and family — a 
small sum. 

Then I began to look about for the future, and 
for means of escape from exile. The crew (foreign) 
found shipping for Montevideo, where they had 
joined the Aquidneck, in lieu of the stricken Bra- 
zilian sailors. But for myself and family this outlet 
was hardly available, even if we had cared to go 
farther from home, — which was the least of our 
thoughts ; and there were no vessels coming our 
way. 



LIBERDADE. 75 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE BUILDING OF THE LIBERDADE. 



Away, away, no cloud is lowering o'er us, 

Freely now we stem the wave ; 
Hoist, hoist all sail, before us 

Hope's beacon shines to cheer the brave. 

— Massaniello. 

When all had been saved from the wreck that 
was worth saving, or that could be saved, we found 
ourselves still in the possession of some goods soon 
to become of great value to us, especially my com- 
pass and charts which, though much damaged, 
were yet serviceable and suggested practical use- 
fulness ; and the chronometer being found intact, 
my course was no longer undecided, my wife and 
sons agreeing with what I thought best. 

The plan, in a word, was this : We could not beg 
our way, neither would we sit idle among the na- 
tives. We found that it would require more courage 



76 VOYAGE OF THE 

to remain in the far-off country than to return home 
in a boat, which then we concluded to build and for 
that purpose.* 

My son Victor, with much pride and sympathy, 
entered heartily into the plan, which promised a 
speedy return home. He bent his energies in a 
practical direction, working on the boat like an old 
builder. 

Before entering on the project, however, all re- 
sponsibilities were considered. Swift ocean cur- 
rents around capes and coral reefs were taken into 
account ; and above all else to be called dangerous 
we knew would be the fierce tropical storms which 
surely we would encounter. 

But a boat should be built stout and strong, we 
all said, one in which we should not be afraid to 
trust our lives even in the storm. 

And with the advantage of experience in ships 
and boats of various sizes and in many seas, I turned 
to the work of constructing, according to my judg- 
ment and means, a craft which would be best 
adapted to all weathers and all circumstances. My 
family with sympathetic strength pulling hard in 
the same direction. 

Seaworthiness was to be the first and most prom- 
inent feature in our microscopic ship ; next to this 

*This alternative I was obliged to accept, or bring my family 
home as paupers, for my wealth was gone — need I explain more? 
This explanation has been forced from me. 



LIBERDADE. 



77 



good quality she should sail well; at least before 
free winds. We counted on favorable winds; and 
so they were experienced the greater part of the 
voyage that soon followed. 

Long exposures and many and severe disap- 
pointments by this time, I found, had told on health 
and nerve, through long quarantines, expensive 
fumigations, and ruinous doctors' visits, which had 
swept my dollars into hands other than mine. 
However, with still a " shot in the locker," and 
with some feelings of our own in the matter of how 
we should get home, I say, we set to work with tools 
saved from the wreck — a meagre kit — and soon 
found ourselves in command of another ship, which 
I will describe the building of, also the dimensions 
and the model and rig, first naming the tools with 
which it was made. 

To begin with, we had an axe, an adze and two 
saws, one 1-2 inch auger, one 6-8 and one 3-8 
auger-bit ; two large sail-needles, which we con- 
verted into nailing bits ; one roper, that answered 
for a punch ; and, most precious of all, a file that 
we found in an old sail-bag washed up on the 
beach. A square we readily made. Two splints 
of bamboo wood served as compasses. Charcoal, 
pounded as fine as flour and mixed in water, took 
the place of chalk for the line ; the latter we had 
on hand. In cases where holes larger than the 6-8 
bit were required, a piece of small jack-stay iron 



■ 



78 VOYAGE OF THE 

was heated, and with this we could burn a hole to 
any size required. So we had, after all, quite a kit 
to go on with. Clamps, such as are used by boat 
builders, we had not, but made substitutes from the 
crooked guava tree and from massaranduba wood. 

Trees from the neighboring forest were felled 
when the timber from the wrecked cargo would not 
answer. Some of these woods that we sought for 
special purposes had queer sounding names, such 
as arregebah, gnanandee, batetenandinglastam-pai ', 
etc. This latter we did not use the saw upon at 
all, it being very hard, but hewed it with the axe, 
bearing in mind that we had but one file, whereas 
for the edged tools we had but to go down to a 
brook hard by to find stones in abundance suitable 
to sharpen them on. 

The many hindrances encountered in the build- 
ing of the boat will not be recounted here. Among 
the least was a jungle fever, from which we suffered 
considerably. But all that, and all other obstacles 
vanished at last, or became less, before a new energy 
which grew apace with the boat, and the building 
of the craft went rapidly forward. There was no 
short day system, but we rested on the Sabbath, or 
surveyed what we had done through the week, and 
made calculations of what and how to strike on the 
coming week. 

The unskilled part of the labor, such as sawing 
the cedar planks, of which she was mostly made, 



LIBERDADE. 79 

was done by the natives, who saw in a rough fash- 
ion, always leaving much planing and straighten- 
ing to be done, in order to adjust the timber to a 
suitable shape. The planks for the bottom were 
of iron wood, 1 1-4 x 10 inches. For the sides and 
top red cedar was used, each plank, with the ex- 
ception of two, reaching the whole length of the 
boat. This arrangement of exceedingly heavy 
wood in the bottom, and the light on top, contrib- 
uted much to the stability of the craft. 

The iron wood was heavy as stone, while the 
cedar, being light and elastic, lent buoyancy and 
suppleness, all that we could wish for. 

The fastenings we gathered up in various places, 
some from the bulwarks of the wreck, some from 
the hinges of doors and skylights, and some were 
made from the ship's metal sheathing, which the 
natives melted and cast into nails. Pure copper 
nails, also, were procured from the natives, some 
ten kilos, for which I paid in copper coins, at the 
rate of two kilos of coin for one kilo of nails. The 
same kind of coins, called dumps, cut into dia- 
mond-shaped pieces, with holes punched through 
them, entered into the fastenings as burrs for the 
nails. A number of small eyebolts from the 
spanker-boom of the wreck were turned to account 
for lashing bolts in the deck of the new vessel. 
The nails, when too long, were cut to the required 
length, taking care that the ends which were cut 



8o VOYAGE OF THE 

off should not be wasted, but remelted, along with 
the metal sheathing, into other nails. 

Some carriage bolts, with nuts, which I found in 
the country, came in very handy ; these I adjusted 
to the required length, when too long, by slipping 
on blocks of wood of the required thickness to take 
up the surplus length, putting the block, of course, 
on the inside, and counter-sinking the nut flush 
with the planks on the outside ; then screwing from 
the inside outward, they were drawn together, and 
there held as in a vise, the planks being put 
together "lap-streak" fashion, which without 
doubt is the strongest way to build a boat. 

These screw-bolts, seventy in number, as well 
as the copper nails, cost us dearly, but wooden 
pegs, with which also she was fastened, cost only 
the labor of being made. The lashings, too, that 
we used here and there about the frame of the 
cabin, cost next to nothing, being made from the 
fibrous bark of trees, which could be had in abun- 
dance by the stripping of it off. So, taking it by 
and large, our materials were not expensive, the 
principal item being the timber, which cost about 
three cents per superficial foot, sawed or hewed. 
Rosewood, ironwood, cedar or mahogany, were all 
about the same price and very little in advance of 
common wood ; so of course we selected always, 
the best, the labor of shaping being least, some- 
times, where the best materials were used. 



LIBERDADE. 8 1 

These various timbers and fastenings, put to- 
gether as best we could shape and join them, made 
a craft sufficiently strong and seaworthy to with- 
stand all the buffetings on the main upon which, in 
due course she was launched. 

The hull being completed, by various other con- 
trivances and makeshifts in which, sometimes, the 
" wooden blacksmith" was called in to assist, and 
the mother of invention also lending a hand, fix- 
tures were made which served as well on the 
voyage as though made in a dockyard and at great 
cost. 

My builders balked at nothing, and on the 13th 
day of May, the day on which the slaves of Brazil 
were set free, oar craft was launched, and was 
named Liberdade (Liberty). 

Her dimensions being — 35 feet in length over all, 
71-2 feet breadth of beam, and 3 feet depth of hold. 
Who shall say that she was not large enough? 

Her model I got from my recollections of Cape 

Ann dories and from a photo of a very elegant 

Japanese sampan which I had before me on the 

, spot, so, as it might be expected, when finished, 

she resembled both types of vessel in some degree. 

Her rig was the Chinese sampan style, which is, 
I consider, the most convenient boat rig in the 
whole world. 

This was the boat, or canoe I prefer to call it, in 
which we purposed to sail for North America and 

6 



82 VOYAGE OF THE 

home. Each one had been busy during the con- 
struction and past misfortunes had all been for- 
gotten. Madam had made the "sails — and very- 
good sails they were, too ! 

Victor, the carpenter, ropemaker and general 
roustabout had performed his part. Our little 
man, Garfield, too, had found employment in hold- 
ing the hammer to clinch the nails and giving 
much advice on the coming voyage. All were 
busy, I say, and no one had given a thought of 
what we were about to encounter from the port 
officials further up the coast ; it was pretended by 
them that a passport could not be granted to so 
small a craft to go on so long a voyage as the con- 
templated one to North America. 

Then fever returned to the writer, and the con- 
structor of the little craft, and I was forced to go 
to bed, remaining there three days. Finally, it 
came to my mind that in part of a medicine chest, 
which had been saved from the wreck, was stored 
some arsemcum, I think it is called. Of this I took 
several doses (small ones at first, you may be sure), 
and the good effect of the deadly poison on the 
malaria in my system was soon felt trickling through 
my veins. Increasing the doses somewhat, I could 
perceive the beneficial effect hour by hour, and in 
a few days I had quite recovered from the malady. 
Absurd as it was to have the judgment of sailors 



LIBERDADE. 83 

set on by pollywog navigators, we had still to sub- 
mit, the pollywogs being numerous. 

About this time — as the astrologers say — a 
messenger came down from the Alfandega (Custom 
House), asking me to repair thither at midday on 
the morrow. This filled me with alarm. True, 
the messenger had delivered his message in the 
politest possible manner, but that signified nothing, 
since Brazilians are always polite. This thing, 
small as it. seems now, came near sending me back 
to the fever. 

What had I done? 

I went up next day, after having nightmare badly 
all night, prepared to say that I wouldn't do it 
again ! The kind administrator I found, upon pre- 
senting myself at his office, had no fault to charge 
me with; but had a good word, instead. "The 
little Liberdade," he observed, had attracted the 
notice of his people and his own curiosity, as being 
" a handsome and well-built craft." This and 
many other flattering expressions were vented, at 
which I affected surprise, but secretly said, "I think 
you are right, sir, and you have good taste, too, if 
you are a customs officer." 

The drift of this flattery, to make a long story 
short, was to have me build about for the Alfandega , 
or, his government not allowing money to build 
new — pointing to one which certainly would require 



84 VOYAGE OF THE 

new keel, planks, ribs, stem and stem-post — ■ 
" could I not repair one?" 

To this proposition I begged time to consider. 
Flattering as the officer's words were, and backed 
by the offer of liberal pay, so long as the boat could 
be " repaired," I still had no mind to remain in the 
hot country, and risk getting the fever again. But 
there was the old hitch to be gotten over ; namely, 
the passport, on which, we thought, depended our 
sailing. 

However, to expedite matters, a fishing license 
was hit upon, and I wondered why I had not 
thought of that before, having been, once upon a 
time, a fisherman myself. Heading thence on a 
new diplomatic course, I commenced to fit osten- 
sibly for a fishing voyage. To this end, a fishing 
net was made, which would be a good thing to 
have, any way. Then hooks and lines were rigged 
and a cable made. This cable, or rope, was 
formed from vines that grow very long on the sand- 
banks just above tide water, several of which twisted 
together make a very serviceable rope, then being 
light and elastic, it is especially adapted for a boat 
anchor rope, or for the storm drag. Ninety fath- 
oms of this rope was made for us by the natives, 
for the sum of ten milreis ($5.00). 

The anchor came of itself almost. I had made a 
wooden one from heavy sinking timber, but a stal- 
wart ranchman coming along, one day, brought a 



LIBERDADE. 85 

boat anchor with him which, he said, had been 
used by his slaves as a pot-hook. "But now that 
they are free and away," said he, "I have no fur- 
ther use for the crooked thing." A sewing-machine, 
which had served to stitch the sails together, was 
coveted by him, and was of no further use to us ; 
in exchange for this the prized anchor was readily 
secured, the owner of it leaving us some boot into 
the bargain. Things working thus in our favor, 
the wooden anchor was stowed away to be kept as 
a spare bower. 

These arrangements completed, our craft took on 
the appearance of a fishing smack, and I began to 
feel somewhat in my old element, with no fear of 
the lack of ways and means when we should arrive 
on our own coast, where I knew of fishing banks. 
And a document which translated read : " A license 
to catch fish inside and outside of the bar," was 
readily granted by the port authorities. 

" How far outside the bar may this carry us? " I 
asked, 

" £)iieim sabe /" said the officer. (Literally 
translated, "Who knows?" but in Spanish or Por- 
tuguese used for, "Nobody knows, or I don't 
care.") 

"Adieu, senor," said the polite official; "we 
will meet in heaven ! " 

This meant you can, go since you insist upon it, 
but I must not officially know of it ; and you will 



86 VOYAGE OF THE 

probably go to the bottom. In this he and many- 
others were mistaken. 

Having the necessary document now in our pos- 
session, we commenced to take in stores for the 
voyage, as follows: Sea-biscuits, 120 lbs.; flour, 
25 lbs. ; sugar, 30 lbs. ; coffee, 9 lbs. , which roasted 
black and pounded fine as wheaten flour, was equal 
to double the amount as prepared in North America, 
and afforded us a much more delicious cup. 

Of tea we had 3 lbs. ; pork, 20 lbs. ; dried 
beef, 100 lbs. ; baccalao secca, (dried codfish) 20 
lbs. ; 2 bottles of honey, 200 oranges, 6 bunches of 
bananas, 120 gallons of water; also a small basket 
of yams, and a dozen sticks of sugar-cane, by way 
of vegetables. 

Our medicine chest contained Brazil nuts, pep- 
per and cinnamon ; no other medicines or condi- 
ments were required on the voyage, except table 
salt, which we also had. 

One musket and a carbine — which had already 
stood us in good stead — together with ammunition 
and three cutlasses, were stowed away for last use, 
to be used, nevertheless, in case of necessity. 

The light goods I stowed in the ends of the 
canoe, the heavier in the middle and along the 
bottom, thus economizing space and lending to the 
stability of the canoe. Over the top of the mid- 
ship stores a floor was made, which, housed over 
by a tarpaulin roof reaching three feet above the 



LIBERDADE. 87 

deck of the canoe, gave us sitting space of four 
feet from the floor to roof, and twelve feet long 
amidships, supported by a frame of bamboo, 
made store-room and cabin. This arrangement of 
cabin in the centre gave my passengers a berth 
where the least motion would be felt ; even this is 
saying but little, for best we could do to avoid it 
we had still to accept much tossing from the waves. 

Precautionary measures were taken in every- 
thing, so far as our resources and skill could 
reach. The springy and buoyant bamboo was 
used wherever stick of any kind was required, such 
as the frame and braces for the cabin, yards for 
the sails, and, finally, for guard on her top sides, 
making the canoe altogether a self-righting one, in 
case of a capsize. Each joint in the bamboo was 
an air-chamber of several pounds buoyant capacity, 
and we had a thousand joints. 

The most important of our stores, particularly 
the flour, bread and coffee, were hermetically 
sealed, so that if actually turned over at sea, our 
craft would not only right herself, but would bring 
her stores right side up, in good order, and it then 
would be only a question of baling her out, and of 
setting her again on her course, when we would 
come on as right as ever. As it turned out, how- 
ever, no such trial or mishap awaited us. 

While the possibility of many and strange oc- 
currences was felt by all of us, the danger which 



88 VOYAGE OF THE 

loomed most in little Garfield's mind was that 
of the sharks. 

A fine specimen was captured on the voyage, 
showing five rows of pearly teeth, as sharp as 
lances. 

Some of these monsters, it is said, have nine 
rows of teeth ; that they are always hungry is 
admitted by sailors of great experience. 

How it is that sailors can go in bathing, as they 
often do, in the face of a danger so terrible, is past 
my comprehension. Their business is to face dan- 
ger, to be sure, but this is a needless exposure, for 
which the penalty is sometimes a life. The second 
mate of a bark on the coast of Cuba, not long ago, 
was bitten in twain, and the portions swallowed 
whole by a monster shark that he had tempted in 
this way. The shark was captured soon after, and 
the poor fellow's remains taken out of the revolting 
maw. 

Leaving the sharks where they are, I gladly 
return to the voyage of the Liberdade. 






LIBERDADE. 89 



CHAPTER X. 



ACROSS THE BAR THE RUN TO SANTOS TOW TO 

RIO BY THE STEAMSHIP AT RIO. 



The efficiency of our canoe was soon discovered : 
On the 24th of June, after having sailed about 
the bay some few days to temper our feelings to 
the new craft, and shake things into place, we 
crossed the bar and stood out to sea, while six ves- 
sels lay inside " bar-bound," that is to say by their 
pilots it was thought too rough to venture out, and 
they, the pilots, stood on the point as we put out to 
sea, crossing themselves in our behalf, and shout- 
ing that the bar was crudo. But the JLiberdade 
stood on her course, the crew never regretting it. 

The wind from the sou'west at the time was the 
moderating side of a pampeiro which had brought 
in a heavy swell from the ocean, that broke and 
thundered on the bar with deafening roar and 
grand display of majestic effort. 



90 VOYAGE OF THE 

But our little ship bounded through the breakers 
like a fish — as natural to the elements, and as free ! 

Of all the seas that broke furiously about her 
that day, often standing her on end, not one swept 
over or even boarded her, and she finally came 
through the storm of breakers in triumph. Then 
squaring away before the wind she spread her will- 
ing sails, and flew onward like a bird. 

It required confidence and some courage to face 
the first storm in so small a bark, after having been 
years in large ships ; but it would have required 
more courage than was possessed by any of us to 
turn back, since thoughts of home had taken hold 
on our minds. 

Then, too, the old boating trick came back fresh 
to me, the love of the thing itself gaining on me as 
the little ship stood out ; and my crew with one 
voice said : " Go on." The heavy South Atlantic 
swell rolling in upon the coast, as we sped along, 
toppled over when it reached the ten fathom line, 
and broke into roaring combers, which forbade our 
nearer approach to the land. 

Evidently, our safest course was away from the 
shore, and out where the swelling seas, though 
grand, were regular, and raced under our little 
craft that danced like a mite on the ocean as she 
drove forward. In twenty-four hours from the 
time Paranagua bar was crossed we were up with 
Santos Heads, a run of 150 miles. 



LIBERDADE. 9 1 

A squall of wind burst on us through a gulch, as 
we swept round the Heads, tearing our sails into 
shreds, and sending us into Santos under bare 
poles. 

Chancing then upon an old friend, the mail 
steamship Finance, Capt. Baker, about to sail for 
Rio, the end of a friendly line was extended to us, 
and we were towed by the stout steamer toward 
Rio, the next day, as fast as we could wish to go. 
My wife and youngest sailor took passage on the 
steamer, while Victor remained in the canoe with 
me, and stood by, with axe in hand, to cut the tow- 
line, if the case should require it — and I steered. 

" Look out," said Baker, as the steamer began 
to move ahead, " look out that I don't snake that 
canoe out from under you. 

" Go on with your mails, Baker," was all I could 
say, " don't blow up your ship with my wife and 
son on board, and I will look out for the packet on 
the other end of the rope." 

Baker opened her up to thirteen knots, but the 
Liberdade held on ! 

The line that we towed with was 1 1-3 inches in 
diameter, by ninety fathoms long. This, at times 
when the steamer surged over seas, leaving the 
canoe on the opposte side of a wave astern, would 
become as taut as a harp-string. At other times it 
would slacken and sink limp in a bight, under the 
forefoot, but only for a moment, however, when 



92 VOYAGE OF THE 

the steamer's next great plunge ahead would 
snap it taut again, pulling us along with a 
heavy, trembling jerk. Under the circumstances, 
straight steering was imperative, for a sheer 
to port or starboard would have finished the career 
of the _Liberda.de, by sending her under the sea. 
Therefore, the trick of twenty hours fell tome — the 
oldest and most experienced helmsman. But I 
was all right and not over-fatigued until Baker cast 
oil upon the " troubled waters." I soon got tired 
of that. 

Victor was under the canvas covering, with the 
axe still in hand, ready to cut the line which was 
so arranged that he could reach it from within, and 
cut instantly, if by mischance the canoe should 
take a sheer. 

I was afraid that the lad would become sleepy, 
and putting his head " under his wing " for a nap, 
would forget his post, but my frequent cry, " Stand 
by there, Victor," found him always on hand, 
though complaining some of the dizzy motion. 

Heavy sprays dashed over me at the helm, 
which, however, seeming to wash away the sul- 
phur and brimstone smoke of many a quarantine, 
brought enjoyment to my mind. 

Confused waves rose about us, high and danger- 
ous — often high above the ganwale of the canoe — 
but her shapely curves balanced her well, and she 
rode over them all in safety. 



LIBERDADE. 93' 

This canoe ride was thrilling and satisfactory 
to us all. It proved beyond a doubt that we had 
in this little craft a most extraordinary sea-boat, for 
the tow was a thorough test of her seaworthiness. 
The captain of the steamer ordered oil cast over 
from time to time, relieving us of much spray and 
sloppy motion, but adding to discomforts of taste 
to me at the helm, for much of the oil blew over 
me and in my face. Said the captain to one of his 
mates (an old whaler by the way, and whalers for 
some unaccountable reason have never too much 
regard for a poor merchantman) " Mr. Smith." 
" Aye, aye, sir," answered old Smith. 
" Mr. Smith, hoist out that oil." 
"Aye, aye, sir," said the old " blubberhunter," 
in high glee, as he went about it with alacrity, and in 
less than five minutes from the time the order was 
given, I was smothering in grease and our boat was 
oiled from keel to truck. 

" She's all right now," said Smith. 
" That's all right," said Baker, but I thought it 
all wrong. The wind, meanwhile, was in our 
teeth and before we crossed Rio Bar I had swal- 
lowed enough oil to cure any amount of con- 
sumption. 

Baker, I have heard, said he wouldn't care 
much if he should " drown Slocum." But I was all 
right so long as the canoe didn't sheer, and we 
arrived at Rio safe and sound after the most excit- 



94 VOYAGE OF THE 

ing boat-ride of my life. I was bound not to cut 
the line that towed us so well ; and I knew that 
Baker wouldn't let it go, for it was his rope. 

I found at Rio that my fishing license could be 
exchanged for a pass of greater import. This 
document had to be procured through the office of 
the Minister of Marine. 

Many a smart linguist was ready to use his 
influence in my behalf with the above-named high 
official ; but I found at the end of a month that I 
was making headway about as fast as a Dutch 
galliot in a head sea after the wind had subsided. 
Our worthy Consul, General H. Clay Armstrong, 
gave me a hint of what the difficulty was and 
how to obviate it. I then went about the business 
myself as I should have done at first, and I found 
those at the various departments who were willing 
to help me without the intervention of outside 
" influence." 

Commander Marquis of the Brazilian navy, 
recommended me to His Excellency, the Minister 
of Marine, " out of regard," he said, " for Ameri- 
can seamen," and when the new document came it 
was "Passe Especial " and had on it a seal as big as 
a soup -plate. A port naval officer then presented 
me to the good Administr adore , who also gave me 
a passe especial, with the seal of the Alfandega. 

I had now only to procure a bill of health, when 
I should have papers enough for a man o' war. 



LIBERDADE. 95 

• 

Rio being considered a healthy place, this was 
readily granted, making our equipment complete. 

I met here our minister whose office, with other 
duties, is to keep a weather eye lifting in the 
interest of that orphan, the American ship — alas, 
my poor relation ! Said he, " Captain, if your 
Liberdade be as good as your papers " (documents 
given me by the Brazilian officials), "you may 
get there all right;" adding, "well, if the boat 
ever reaches home she will be a great curiosity," 
the meaning of which, I could readily infer, was, 
" and your chances for a snap in a dime museum 
will be good." This, after many years of ex- 
perience as an American shipmaster, and also ship 
owner, in a moderate way, was interesting encour- 
agement. By our Brazilian friends, however, the 
voyage was looked upon as a success already 
achieved. 

" The utmost confidence," said the ^Journal 
Oj)iz, of Rio, " is placed in the cool-headed, auda- 
cious American mariner, and we expect in a short 
time to hear proclaimed in all of the journals of the 
Old and New World the safe arrival of this won- 
derful little craft at her destination, ourselves taking 
part in the glory." " Temos confianca na pericia 
e sangue frio do audaciauso marinhero Americano 
por isso esperamos que dentro em pouco tempo 
veremos o seu nome proclamado por todos os jor- 
naes do velho e novo mundo. 



96 VOYAGE OF THE 

A nos tambem cabera parte da gloria." 

With these and like kind expressions from all of 

our friends, we took leave of Rio, sailing on the 

morning of July 23d, 1888. 



LIBERDADE. 97 



CHAPTER XI. 



SAIL FROM RIO ANCHOR AT CAPE FRIO EN- 
COUNTER WITH A WHALE SUNKEN TREASURE 

THE SCHOOLMASTER THE MERCHANT 

THE GOOD PEOPLE AT THE VILLAGE A 

PLEASANT VISIT. 



July 23d, 1888, was the day, as I have said, on 
which we sailed from Rio de Janeiro. 

Meeting with head winds and light withal, 
through the day we made but little progress ; and 
finally, when night came on we anchored twenty 
miles east of Rio Heads, near the shore. Long, 
rolling seas rocked us as they raced by, then, 
dashing their great bodies against defying rocks, 
made music by which we slept that night. But a 
trouble unthought of before came up in Garfield's 
mind before going to his bunk; "Mamma," cried 
he as our little bark rose and fell on the heavy 
waves, tumbling the young sailor about from side 
7 



98 VOYAGE OF THE 

to side in the small quarters while he knelt seriously 
at his evening devotion, " mamma, this boat isn't 
big enough to pray in ! " But this difficulty was 
gotten over in time, and Garfield learned to watch 
as well as to pray on the voyage, and full of faith 
that all would be well, laid him down nights and 
slept as restfully as any Christian on sea or land. 

By daylight of the second day we were again 
underway, beating to the eastward against the old 
head wind and head sea. 'On the following night 
we kept her at it, and the next day made Cape 
Frio where we anchored near the entrance to a 
good harbor. 

Time from Rio, two days ; distance, 70 miles. 

The wind and tide being adverse, compelled us 
to wait ontside for a favorable change. While 
comfortably anchored at this place, a huge whale, 
nosing about, came up under the canoe, giving us 
a toss and a great scare. We were at dinner when 
it happened. The meal, it is needless to say, was 
finished without dessert. The great sea animal — 
fifty to sixty feet long — circling around our small 
craft, looked terribly big. He was so close to me 
twice, as he swam round and round the canoe, that 
I could have touched him either time with a paddle. 
His flukes stirring the water like a steamer pro- 
peller appeared alarmingly close and powerful ! — 
and what an ugly mouth the monster had ! Well, 
we expected instant annihilation. The fate of the 



LIBERDADE. 99 

stout whale-ship Essex came vividly before me. 
The voyage of the Liberdade, I thought, was about 
ended, and I looked about for pieces of bamboo on 
which to land my wife and family. Just then, how- 
ever, to the infinite relief of all of us, the leviathan 
moved off, without doing us much harm, having 
felt satisfied, perhaps, that we had no Jonah on 
board. 

We lost an anchor through the incident, and 
received some small damage to the keel, but no 
other injury was done — even this, I believe, upon 
second thought, was unintentional — done in play- 
fulness only! "A shark can take a joke," it is 
said, and crack one too, but for broad, rippling 
humor the whale has no equal. 

" If this be a sample of our adventures in the 
beginning," thought I, " we shall have enough 
and to spare by the end of the voyage." A visit 
from this quarter had not been counted on ; but 
Sancho Panza says, " when least aware starts the 
hare," which in our case, by the by, was a great 
whale ! 

When our breath came back and the hair on our 
heads settled to a normal level, we set sail, and 
dodged about under the lee of the cape till a cove, 
with a very enticing sand beach at the head of it, 
opened before us, some three miles northwest of 
where we lost the anchor in the remarkable ad- 
venture with the whale. The " spare bower " was 



IOO VOYAGE OF THE 

soon bent to the cable. Then we stood in and 
anchored near a cliff, over which was a goat-path 
leading in the direction of a small fishing village, 
about a mile away. Sheering the boat in to the 
rocky side of the cove which was steep to, we 
leaped out, warp in hand, and made fast to a 
boulder above the tidal flow, then, scrambling over 
the cliff, we repaired to the village, first improvis- 
ing a spare anchor from three sticks and a stone 
which answered the purpose quite well. 

Judging at once that we were strangers the vil- 
lagers came out to meet us, and made a stir at 
home to entertain us in the most hospitable man- 
ner, after the custom of the country, and with the 
villagers was a gentleman from Canada, a Mr. 
Newkirk, who, as we learned, was engaged, when 
the sea was smooth, in recovering treasure that was 
lost near the cape in the British war ship Thetis, 
which was wrecked there, in 1830. The treasure, 
some millions in silver coins and gold in bars, from 
Peru for England, was dumped in the cove, which 
has since taken the name of the ship that bore it 
there, and as I have said, came to grief in that 
place which is on the west shore near the end of 
the cape. 

Some of the coins were given to us to be 
treasured as souvenirs of the pleasant visit. We 
found in Mr. Newkirk a versatile, roving genius ; 
he had been a schoolmaster at home, captain of a 



LIBERDADE. IOI 

lake schooner once, had practiced medicine, and 
preached some, I think ; and what else I do not 
know. He had tried many things for a living, 
but, like the proverbial moving stone had failed to 
accumulate. "Matters," said the Canadian, "were 
getting worse and worse even, till finally to keep 
my head above water I was forced to go under the 
the sea," and he had struck it rich, it would seem, 
if gold being brought in by the boat-load was any 
sign. This man of many adventures still spoke 
like a youngster ; no one had told him that he was 
growing old. He talked of going home, as soon 
as the balance of the treasure was secured, "just 
to see his dear old mother," who, by the way, was 
seventy-four years old when he left home, some 
twenty years before. Since his last news from 
home, nearly two decades had gone by. He was 
"the youngest of a family of eighteen children, 
all living," he said, "though," added he, "our 
family came near being made one less yesterday, 
by a whale which I thought would eat my boat, 
diving-bell, crew, money and all, as he came 
toward us, with open mouth. By a back stroke of 
the oars, however, we managed to cheat him out 
of his dinner, if that was what he was after, and 
I think it was, but here I am!" he cried, "all 
right ! " and might have added, "wealthy after all." 
After hearing the diver's story, I related in Por- 
tuguese our own adventure of the same day, and 



102 VOYAGE OF THE 

probably with the same whale, the monster having 
gone in the direction of the diver's boat. The 
astonishment of the listeners was great ; but when 
they learned of our intended voyage to America do 
Norte, they crossed themselves and asked God to 
lend us grace ! 

" Is North America near New York? " asked the 
village merchant, who owned all the boats and nets 
of the place. 

" Why, America is in New York," answered the 
ex-schoolmaster. 

" I thought so," said the self-satisfied merchant. 
And no doubt he thought some of us very stupid, or 
rude, or both, but in spite of manners I had to smile 
at the assuring air of the Canadian. 

"Why did you not answer him correctly?" I 
asked of the ex-schoolmaster. 

" I answered him," said Newkirk, " according to 
his folly. Had I corrected his rusty geography 
before these simple, impoverished fishermen, he 
would not soon forgive me ; and as for the rest of 
the poor souls here, the knowledge would do them 
but little good." 

I may mention that in this out-of-the-way place 
there were no schools, and except the little knowl- 
edge gained in their church, from the catechism, 
and from the fumbling of beads, they were the most 
innocent of this world's scheme, of any people I ever 
met. But they seemed to know all about heaven, 
and were, no doubt, happy. 



LIBERDADE. 103 

After the brief, friendly chat that we had, coffee 
was passed around, the probabilities of the Liber- 
dude's voyage discussed, and the crew cautioned 
against the dangers of the balaena (whale), which 
were numerous along the coast, and vicious at that 
season of the year, having their young to protect. 

I realized very often the startling sensation alone 
of a night at the helm, of having a painful stillness 
broken by these leviathans bursting the surface of 
the water with a noise like the roar of a great sea, 
uncomfortably near, reminding me of the Cape 
Frio adventure ; and my crew, I am sure, were not 
less sensitive to the same feeling of an awful dan- 
ger, however imaginary. One night in particular, 
dark and foggy I remember, Victor called me ex- 
citedly, saying that something dreadful ahead and 
drawing rapidly near had frightened him. 

It proved to be a whale, for some reason that I 
could only guess at, threshing the sea with its huge 
body, and surging about in all directions, so that it 
puzzled me to know which way to steer to go clear. 
1 thought at first, from the rumpus made that a 
fight was going on, such as we had once witnessed 
from the deck of the Aquidneck, not far from this 
place. Our course was changed as soon as we 
could decide which way to avoid, if possible, all 
marine disturbers of the peace. We wished espec- 
ially to keep away from infuriated swordfish, which 
I feared might be darting about, and be apt to give 



104 VOYAGE OF THE 

us a blind thrust. Knowing that they sometimes 
pierce stout ships through with their formidable 
weapons, I began to feel ticklish about the ribs 
myself, I confess, and the little watch below, too, 
got uneasy and sleepless ; for one of these swords, 
they knew well, would reach through and through 
our little boat, from keel to deck. Large ships, 
have occasionally been sent into port leaky from 
the stab of a sword, but what I most dreaded was 
the possibility of one of us being ourselves pinned 
in the boat. 

A swordfish once pierced a whale-ship through 
the planking, and through the solid frame timber 
and the thick ceiling, with his sword, leaving it 
there, a valuable plug indeed, with the point, it 
was found upon unshipping her cargo at New Bed- 
ford, even piercing through a cask in the hold. 



LIBERDADE. 105 



CHAPTER XII. 



SAIL FROM FRIO ROUND CAPE ST. THOME HIGH 

SEAS AND SWIFT CURRENTS IN THE " TRADES " 

DANGEROUS REEFS RUN INTO HARBOR 

UNAWARES, ON A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT 

AT CARAVELLAS FINE WEATHER A GALE 

PORT ST. PAULO TREACHEROUS NATIVES 

SAIL FOR BAHIA. 



July 30th, early in the day, and after a pleasant 
visit at the cape, we sailed for the north, securing 
first a few sea shells to be cherished, with the 
Thetis relics, in remembrance of a most enjoyable 
visit to the hospitable shores of Cape Frio. 

Having now doubled Cape Frio, a prominent 
point in our voyage, and having had the seaworthi- 
ness of our little ship thoroughly tested, as already 
told; and seeing, moreover, that we had nothing 
to fear from common small fry of the sea, (one of 
its greatest monsters having failed to capsize us,) 



106 VOYAGE OF THE 

we stood on with greater confidence than ever, but 
watchful, nevertheless, for any strange event that 
might happen. 

A fresh polar wind hurried us on, under 
shortened sail, toward the softer " trades " of the 
tropics, but, veering to the eastward by midnight, 
it brought us well in with the land. Then, " Lar- 
board watch, ahoy ! all hands on deck and turn 
out reefs," was the cry. To weather Cape St. 
Thome we must lug on all sail. And we go over 
the shoals with a boiling sea and current in our 
favor. In twenty-four hours from Cape Frio, we 
had lowered the Southern Cross three degrees — 
180 miles. 

Sweeping by the cape, the canoe sometimes 
standing on end, and sometimes buried in the deep 
hollow of the sea, we sunk the light on St. Thome 
soon out of sight, and stood on with flowing sheet. 
The wind on the following day settled into regu- 
lar south-east " trades," and our cedar canoe 
skipped briskly along, over friendly seas that were 
leaping toward home, doffing their crests onward 
and forward, but never back, and the splashing 
waves against her sides, then rippling along the 
thin cedar planks between the crew and eternity, 
vibrated enchanting music to the ear, while confi- 
dence grew in the bark that was homeward bound. 

But coming upon coral reefs, of a dark night, 
while we listened to the dismal tune of the seas 



LIBERDADE. 107 

breaking over them with an eternal roar, how 
intensely lonesome they were ! no sign of any liv- 
ing thing in sight, except, perhaps, the phos- 
phorescent streaks of a hungry shark, which told 
of bad company in our wake, and made the gloom 
of the place more dismal still. 

One night we made shelter under the lee of the 
extensive reefs called the Paredes (walls), without 
seeing the breakers at all in the dark, although 
they were not far in the distance. At another 
time, dragging on sail to clear a lee shore, of a 
dark and stormy night, we came suddenly into 
smooth water, where we cast anchor and furled 
our sails, lying in a magic harbor till daylight the 
next morning, when we found ourselves among a 
maze of ugly reefs, with high seas breaking over 
them, as far as the eye could reach, on all sides, 
except at the small entrance to the place that we 
had stumbled into in the night. The position of 
this future harbor is South Lat. 16 48', and West 
Long, from Greenwich 39 30'. We named the 
place " Port Liberdade." 

The next places sighted were the treacherous 
Abrohles, and the village of Caravellas back of the 
reef where upon refitting, I found that a chicken 
cost a thousand reis, a bunch of bananas, four hun- 
dred reis ; but where a dozen limes cost only twenty 
reis — one cent. Much whaling gear lay strewn 
about the place, and on the beach was the carcass 



IOS VOYAGE OF THE 

of a whale about nine days slain. Also leaning 
against a smart-looking boat was a gray-haired 
fisherman, boat and man relics of New Bedford, 
employed at this station in their familiar industry. 
The old man was bare-footed and thinly clad, after 
the custom in this climate. Still, I recognized the 
fisherman and sailor in the set and rig of the few 
duds he had on, and the ample straw hat (don- 
key's breakfast) that he wore, and doffed in a sea- 
man-like manner, upon our first salute. " Filio do 
Mar do Nord Americano" said an affable native 
close by, pointing at the same time to that " son of 
the sea of North America," by way of introduc- 
tion, as soon as it was learned that we, too, were of 
that country. I tried to learn from this ancient 
mariner the cause of his being stranded in this 
strange land. He may have been cast up thereby 
the whale for aught I could learn to the contrary. 
Choosing a berth well to windward of the dead 
whale — the one that landed " the old man of the 
sea "there, maybe! — we anchored for the night, 
put a light in the rigging and turned in. Next 
morning, the village was astir betimes; canoes 
were being put afloat, and the rattle of poles, pad- 
dles, bait boxes, and many more things for the 
daily trip that were being hastily put into each 
canoe, echoed back from the tall palm groves notes 
of busy life, telling us that it was time to weigh 
anchor and be sailing. To this cheerful tune we 



LIBERDADE 109 

lent ear and hastening to be underweigh, were 
soon clear of the port. Then, skimming along near 
the beach in the early morning, our sails spread to 
aland breeze, laden with fragrance from the tropic 
forest and the music of many songsters, we sailed 
in great felicity, dreading no dangers from the sea, 
for there were none now to dread or fear. 

Proceeding forward through this belt of moder- 
ate winds, fanned by alternating land and sea- 
breezes, we drew on toward a region of high trade 
winds that reach sometimes the dignity of a 
gale. It was no surprise, therefore, after days of 
fine-weather sailing, to be met by a storm, which so 
happened as to drive us into the indifferent anchor- 
age of St. Paulo, thirty miles from Bahia, where 
we remained two days for shelter. 

Time, three days from Caravellas ; distance 
sailed, 270 miles. 

A few fishermen lounged about the place, living, 
apparently, in wretched poverty, spending their 
time between waiting for the tide to go out, when 
it was in, and waiting for it to come in when it was 
out, to float a canoe or bring fish to their shiftless 
nets. This, indeed, seemed their only concern in 
life ; while their ill-thatched houses, forsaken of 
the adobe that once clung to the wicker walls, stood 
grinning in rows, like emblems of our mortality. 

We found at this St. Paulo anything but saints. 
The wretched place should be avoided by strangers, 



IIO VOYAGE OF THE 

unless driven there for shelter, as we ourselves 
were, by stress of weather. We left the place on 
the first lull of the wind, having been threatened 
by an attack from a gang of rough, half-drunken 
fellows, who rudely came on board, jostling about, 
and jabbering in a dialect which, however, I hap- 
pened to understand. I got rid of them by the 
use of my broken Portuguese, and once away I 
was resolved that they should stay away. I was 
not mistaken in my suspicions that they would 
return and try to come aboard, which shortly after- 
ward they did, but my resolution to keep them off 
was not shaken. I let them know, in their own 
jargon this time, that I was well armed. They 
finally paddled back to the shore, and all visiting 
was then ended. We stood a good watch that 
night, and by daylight next morning, Aug. 12th, 
put to sea, standing out in a heavy swell, the char- 
acter of which I knew better, and could trust to 
more confidently than a harbor among treacherous 
3iatives. 

Early in the same day, we arrived at Bahia do 
todos Santos (All Saints' Bay), a charming port, 
with a rich surrounding country. It was from this 
port, by the way, that Robinson Crusoe sailed for 
Africa to procure slaves for his plantation, and that 
of his friend, so fiction relates. 

At Bahia we met many friends and gentle folk. 
Not the least interesting at this port are the negro 




A BAHIA WOMAN. 



J. IBERDA DE. Ill 

lasses of fine physique seen at the markets and in the 
streets, with burdens on their heads of baskets of 
fruit, or jars of water, which they balance with ease 
and grace, as they go sweeping by with that stately 
mien which the dusky maiden can call her own. 



112 VOTAGE OF THE 



CHAPTER XIII. 



AT BAHIA MEDITATIONS ON THE DISCOVERERS 

THE CARIBBEES. 



At Bahia we refitted, with many necessary pro- 
visions, and repaired the keel, which was found 
upon hauling out, had been damaged by the 
encounter with the whale at Frio. An iron shoe 
was now added for the benefit of all marine mon- 
sters wishing to scratch their tacks on our canoe. 

Among the many friends whom we met at Bahia 
was Capt. Boyd and his family of the Barque H. 
W. Palmer. We shall meet the Palmer and the 
Boyds again on the voyage. They were old 
traders to South America and had many friends at 
this port who combined to make our visit a pleasant 
one. And their little son Rupert was greatly taken 
with the "TrY^erdade," as he called her, coming 



LIBERDADE. 113 

often to see us. And the officials of the port tak- 
ing great interest in our voyage, came often on 
board. No one could have treated us more kindly 
than they. 

The venerable Administr adore himself gave us 
special welcome to the port and a kind word upon 
our departure, accompanied by a present for my 
wife in the shape of a rare white flower, which we 
cherished greatly as coming from a true gentleman. 

Some strong abolitionists at the port would have 
us dine in an epicurean way in commemoration of 
the name given our canoe, which was adopted 
because of her having been put afloat on the 
thirteenth day of May, the day on which every 
human being in Brazil could say, " I have no 
master but one." I declined the banquet tendered 
us, having work on hand, fortifying the canoe 
against the ravaging worms of the seas we were 
yet to sail through, bearing in mind the straits of 
of my great predecessor from this as well as other 
causes on his voyage over the Caribbean Seas. I 
was bound to be strengthened against the enemy. 

The gout, it will be remembered, seized upon 
the good Columbus while his ship had worms, 
then both ship and admiral lay stranded among 
menacing savages; surrounded, too, by a lawless, 
threatening band of his own countrymen not less 
treacherous than the worst of cannibals. His state 
was critical, indeed ! One calamity was from over 



114 VOTAGE OF THE 

high living — this I was bound to guard against — 
the other was from neglect on the part of his people 
to care for the ship in a seaman-like manner. Of 
the latter difficulty I had no risk to run. 

Lazy and lawless, but through the pretext of relig- 
ion the infected crew wrought on the pious feelings of 
the good Admiral, inducing him at every landing 
to hold mass instead of cleaning the foul ship. 
Thus through petty intrigue and grave neglects, 
they brought disaster and sorrow on their leader 
and confusion on their own heads. Their religion, 
never deep, could not be expected to keep Terredo 
from the ship's bottom, so her timbers were 
ravished, and ruin came to them all ! Poor Co- 
lumbus ! had he but sailed with his son Diego and 
his noble brother Bartholomew, for his only crew 
and companions, not forgetting the help of a good 
woman, America would have been discovered with- 
out those harrowing tales of woe and indeed heart- 
rending calamities which followed in the wake of 
his designing people. Nor would his ship have 
been less well manned than was the Liberdade, 
sailing, centuries after, over the same sea and 
among many of the islands visited by the great 
discoverer — sailing too, without serious accident 
of any kind, and without sickness or discontent. 
Our advantage over Columbus, I say, was very 
great, not more from the possession of data of the 
centuries which had passed than from having a 



LIBERDADE. 115 

willing crew sailing without dissent or murmur — 
sailing in the same boat, as it were. 

A pensive mood comes over one voyaging among 
the scenes of the New World's early play-ground. 
To us while on this canoe voyage of pleasant rec- 
ollection the fancied experience of navigators gone 
before was intensely thrilling. 

Sailing among islands clothed in eternal green, 
the same that Columbus beheld with marvelous 
anticipations, and the venerable Las Casas had 
looked upon with pious wonder, brought us, in the 
mind's eye, near the old discoverers ; and a feeling 
that we should come suddenly upon their ships 
around some near headland took deep hold upon 
our thoughts as we drew in with the shores. All 
was there to please the imagination and dream over 
in the same balmy, sleepy atmosphere, where Juan 
Ponce de Leon would fain have tarried young, but 
found death rapid, working side by side with ever 
springing life. To live long in this clime one must 
obe)' great Nature's laws. So stout Juan and mil- 
lions since have found, and so always it will be. 

All was there to testify as of yore, all except the 
first owners of the land ; they alas ! the poor Carib- 
bees, together with their camp fires, had been extin- 
guished long years before. And no one of human 
sympathy can read of the cruel tortures and final 
extermination of these islanders, savages though 
they were, without a pang of regret at the unpleas- 
ant page in a history of glory and civilization. 



Il6 VOYAGE OF THE 



CHAPTER XIV. 



BAHIA TO PERNAMBUCO THE MEETING OF THE 

FINANCE AT SEA AT PERNAMBUCO ROUND 

CAPE ST. ROQUE A GALE BREAKERS 

THE STRETCH TO BARBADOES FLYING-FISH 

ALIGHTING ON DECK DISMASTED ARRIVE 

AT CARLYSLE BAY. 



From Bahia to Pernambuco our course lay along 
that part of the Brazilian coast fanned by constant 
trade winds. Nothing unusual occurred to disturb 
our peace or daily course, and we pressed forward 
night and day, as was our wont from the first. 

Victor and I stood watch and watch at sea, usu- 
ally four hours each. 

The most difficult of our experiences in fine 
weather was the intense drowsiness brought on by 
constantly watching the oscillating compass at 
night ; even in the daytime this motion would make 
one sleepy. 



LIBERDADE. 1 17 

We soon found it necessary to arrange a code of 
signals which would communicate between the tiller 
and the " man forward." This was accomplished 
by means of a line or messenger extending from 
one to the other, which was understood by the 
number of pulls given by it ; three pulls, for instance, 
meant "Turn out," one in response, "Aye, aye, 
I am awake, and what is it that is wanted ?" one pull 
in return signified that it was "Eight bells," and so 
on. But three quick jerks meant "Tumble out and 
shorten sail." 

Victor, it was understood, would tie the line to 
his arm or leg when he turned in, so that by pulling 
I would be sure to arouse him, or bring him some- 
what unceremoniously out of his bunk. Once, 
however, the messenger failed to accomplish its 
purpose. A boot came out on the line in answer to 
my call, so easily, too, that I suspected a trick. It 
was evidently a preconceived plan by which to gain 
a moment more of sleep. It was a clear imposition 
on the man at the wheel ! 

We had also a sign in this system of telegraphing 
that told of flying-fish on board — manna of the sea 
— to be gathered up for the cuisine whenever they 
happened to alight or fall on deck, which was 
often, and as often they found a warm welcome. 

The watch was never called to make sail. As 
for myself, I had never to be called, having 
thoughts of the voyage and its safe completion on 



Il8 VOYAGE OF THE 

my mind to keep me always on the alert. I can 
truly say that I never, on the vo} r age, slept so 
sound as to forget where I was, but whenever I fell 
into a dose at all it would be to dream of the boat 
and the voyage. 

Press on ! press on ! was the watchword while 
at sea, but in port we enjoyed ourselves and gave 
up care for rest and pleasure, carrying a supply, as 
it were, to sea with us, where sail was again car- 
ried on. 

Though a mast should break, it would be no 
matter of serious concern, for we would be at no 
loss to mend and rig up spars for this craft at short 
notice, most anywhere. 

The third day out from Bahia was set fine 
weather. A few ftying-fish made fruitless attempts 
to rise from the surface of the sea, attracting but 
little attention from the sea-gulls which sat look- 
ing wistfully across the unbroken deep with folded 
wings. 

And the Liberdade doing her utmost to get along 
through the common quiet, made but little progress 
on her way. A dainty fish played in her light 
wake, till tempted by an evil appetite for flies, it 
landed in the cockpit upon a hook, thence into the 
the pan, where many a one had brought up before. 
Breakfast was cleared away at an early hour ; 
then day of good things happened — " the meeting 
of the ships." 



LIBERDADE. 119 

" When o'er the silent sea alone 

For days and nights we've cheerless gone, 
Oh thej who've felt it know how sweet, 
Some sunny morn a sail to meet. 

" Sparkling at once is every eye, 

4 Ship ahoy ! ship ahoy !' our joyful cry 
While answering back the sound we' hear, 

' Ship ahoy! ship ahoy! what cheer, what cheer.' 

"Then sails are backed, we nearer come, 

Kind words are said of friends and home, 
And soon, too soon, we part with pain, 
To sail o'er silent seas again." 

On the clear horizon could be seen a ship, which 
proved to be our staunch old friend, the Finance, on 
her way out to Brazil, heading nearly for us. Our 
course was at once changed, so as to cross her 
bows. She rose rapidly, hull up, showing her 
lines of unmistakable beauty, the stars and stripes 
waving over all. They on board the great ship, 
soon discried our little boat, and gave sign by a 
deep whistle that came rumbling over the sea, tell- 
ing us that we were recognized. A few moments 
later and the engines stopped. Then came the 
hearty hail, " Do you want assistance?" Our 
answer " No " brought cheer on cheer from the 
steamer's deck, while the Liberdade bowed and 
courtesied to her old acquaintance, the superior 
ship. Captain Baker, meanwhile, not forgetting a 
sailor's most highly prized luxury, had ordered in 
the slings a barrel of potatoes — new from home! 
Then dump they came, in a jiffy, into the canoe, 
giving her a settle in the water of some inches. 



120 VOYAGE OF THE 

Other fresh provisions were handed us, also some 
books and late papers. J. Aspinwill Hodge, D-D., 
on a tour of inspection in the interest of the Pres- 
byterian Mission in Brazil — on deck here with 
his camera — got an excellent photograph of the 
canoe.* 

One gentleman passed us a bottle of wine, 
on the label of which was written the name 
of an old acquaintance, a merchant of Rio. We 
pledged Mr. Gudgeon and all his fellow passen- 
gers in that wine, and had some left long after, 
to the health of the captain of the ship, and his 
crew. There was but little time for words, so 
the compliments passed were brief. The ample 
plates in the sides of the Finance, inspiring confi- 
dence in American thoroughness and build, we 
had hardly time to scan, when her shrill whistle 
said " good-bye," and moving proudly on, the 
great ship was soon out of sight, while the little 
boat filling away on the starboard tack, sailed on 
toward home, perfumed with the interchange of a 
friendly greeting, tinged though, with a palpable 
lonesomeness. Two days after this pleasant meet- 
ing, the Port of Pernambuco was reached. 

Tumbling in before a fresh " trade " wind that 
in the evening had sprung up, accompanied with 

* We had the pleasure of meeting this gentleman again on 
the voyage at Barbadoes, again at New London, and finally 
with delight we heard him lecture on his travels, at Newport, 
and saw there produced on the wall the very picture of the 
Liberdade taken by the doctor on the great ocean. 



\ \\ti 



S&iLft l> 



j 3 *©^ 







L , 



ON THE GREAT OCEAN. 



LIBERDADE. 121 

long, rolling seas, our canoe came nicely round the 
point between lighted reef and painted buoy. 

Spray from the breakers on the reef opportunely 
wetting her sails gave them a flat surface to the 
wind as we came close haul. 

The channel leading up the harbor was not 
strange to us, so we sailed confidently along the 
lee of the wonderful wall made by worms, to which 
alone Pernambuco is indebted for its excellent har- 
bor ; which extending also along a great stretch of 
the coast, protects Brazil from the encroachment of 
the sea. 

At 8 p. m., we came to in a snug berth near the 
Alfandega, and early next morning received the 
official visit from the polite port officers. 

Time from Bahia, rive days; distance sailed, 390 
miles. 

Pernambuco, the principal town of a large and 
wealthy province of the same name, is a thriving 
place, sending out valuable cargoes, principally of 
sugar and cotton. I had loaded costly cargoes 
here, times gone by. I met my old merchant 
again this time, but could not carry his goods on 
the JLiberdade. However, fruits from his orchards 
and a run among the trees refreshed my crew, 
and prepared them for the coming voyage to Bar- 
badoes, which was made with expedition. 

From Pernambuco we experienced a strong cur- 
rent in our favor, with, sometimes, a confused cross 



122 VOYAGE OF THE 

sea that washed over us considerably. But the 
swift current sweeping along through it all made 
compensation for discomforts of motion, though 
our " ups and downs" were many. Along this 
part of the coast (from Pernambuco to the Ama- 
zon,) if one day should be fine, three stormy ones 
would follow, but the gale was always fair, carry- 
ing us forward at a goodly rate. 

Along about half way from Cape St. Roque to 
the Amazon, the wind which had been blowing 
hard for two days, from E. S. E., and raising lively 
waves all about, increased to a gale that knocked 
up seas, washing over the little craft more than 
ever. The thing was becoming monotonous and 
tiresome ; for a change, therefore, I ran in toward 
the land, so as to avoid the ugly cross sea farther 
out in the current. This course was a mistaken 
one ; we had not sailed far on it when a sudden 
rise of the canoe, followed by an unusually long 
run down on the slope of a roller, told us of a 
danger that we hardly dared to think of, then a 
mighty comber broke, but, as Providence willed, 
broke short of the canoe, which under shortened 
sail was then scudding very fast. 

We were on a shoal, and the sea was breaking 
from the bottom ! The second great roller came 
on, towering up, up, up, until nothing longer could 
support the mountain of water, and it seemed only to 
pause before its fall to take aim and surely gather 
us up in its sweeping fury. 



LIBERDADE. 1 23 

I put the helm a-lee ; there was nothing else to 
do but this, and say prayers. The helm hard 
down, brought the canoe round, bows to the dan- 
ger, while in breathless anxiety we prepared to 
meet the result as best we could. Before we could 
say " Save us, or we perish," the sea broke over 
with terrific force and passed on, leaving us trem- 
bling in His hand, more palpably helpless than 
ever before. Other great waves came madly on, 
leaping toward destruction ; how they bellowed 
over the shoal ! I could smell the slimy bottom of 
the sea, when they broke ! I could taste the salty 
sand ! 

In this perilous situation, buried sometimes in the 
foaming breakers, and at times tossed like a reed 
on the crest of the waves, we struggled with might 
and main at the helm and the sheets, easing her up 
or forcing her ahead with care, gaining little by 
little toward deep water, till at last she came out of 
the danger, shook her feathers like a sea bird, and 
rode on waves less perilous. Then we had time 
and courage to look back, but not till then. 

And what a sight we beheld ! The horizon was 
illumined with phosphorescent light from the. 
breakers just passed through. The rainstorm 
which had obscured the coast was so cleared away 
now that we could see the whole field of danger 
behind us. One spot in particular, the place where 
the breakers dashed over a rock which appeared 



124 VOYAGE OF THE 

awash, in the glare flashed up a shaft of light that 
reached to the heavens. 

This was the greatest danger we had yet encoun- 
tered. The elasticity of our canoe, not its bulk, 
saved it from destruction. Her light, springy tim- 
bers and buoyant bamboo guards brought her 
upright again and again through the fierce break- 
ers. We were astonished at the feats of wonder of 
our brave little craft. 

Fatigued and worn with anxiety, when clear of 
the shoal we hauled to under close reefs, heading 
off shore, and all hands lay down to rest till day- 
light. Then, squaring away again, we set what 
sail the canoe could carry, scudding before it, for 
the wind was still in our favor, though blowing 
very hard. Nevertheless the weather seemed fine 
and pleasant at this stage of our own pleased feel- 
ings. Any weather that one's craft can live in, 
after escaping a lee shore, is pleasant weather — 
though some may be pleasanter than other. 

What we most wished for, after this thrilling 
experience, was sea room, fair wind, and plenty of 
it. That these without stint would suit us best ? 
was agreed on all hands. Accordingly then I 
shaped the course seaward, clearing well all the 
dangers of the land. 

The fierce tropical storm of the last few days 
turned gradually into mild trade winds, and our 
cedar canoe skipped nimbly once more over tran- 



LIBERDADE. 1 25 

quil seas. Our own agitation, too, had gone down 
and we sailed on unruffled by care. Gentle winds 
carried us on over kindly waves, and we were fain 
to count fair days ahead, leaving all thoughts of 
stormy ones behind. In this hopeful mood we 
sailed for many days, our spirits never lowering, 
but often rising higher out of the miserable condi- 
tion which we had fallen into through misfortunes 
on the foreign shore. When a star came out, it 
came as a friend, and one that had been seen by 
friends of old. When all the stars shone out, the 
hour at sea was cheerful, bright, and joyous. 
Welby saw, or had in the mind's-eye, a day like 
many that we experienced in the soft, clear 
" trades" on this voyage, when writing the pretty 
lines : — 

"The twilight hours like birds flew by, 
As lightly and as free, 
Ten thousand stars were in the sky, 
Ten thousand on the sea. 

" For every rippling, dancing wave, 
That leaped upon the air, 
Had caught a star in its embrace, 
And held it trembling there." 

" The days pass, and our ship flies fast upon her 
way." 

For several days while sailing near the line we 
saw the constellations of both hemispheres, but 
heading north, we left those of the south at last, 
with the Southern Cross — most beautiful in all the 
heavens — to watch over a friend. 



126 VOYAGE OF THE 

Leaving these familiar southern stars and sailing 
towards constellations in the north, we hoist all sail 
to the cheery breeze which carries us on. 

In this pleasant state of sailing with our friends 
all about us, we stood on and on, never doubting 
once our pilot or our ship. 

A phantom of the stately Aquidneck appeared 
one night, sweeping by with crowning skysails set, 
that fairly brushed the stars. No apparition could 
have affected us more than the sight of this float- 
ing beauty, so like the Aquidneck, gliding swiftly 
and quietly by, from her mission to some foreign 
land — she, too, was homeward bound ! 

This incident of the Aquidneck's ghost, as it 
appeared to us, passing at midnight on the sea, 
left a pang of lonesomeness for a while. 

But a carrier dove came next day, and perched 
upon the mast, as if to tell that we had yet a friend ! 
Welcome harbinger of good ! you bring us thoughts 
of angels. 

The lovely visitor remained with us two days, off 
and on, but left for good on the third, when we 
reached away from Avis Island, to which, maybe, 
it was bound. Coming as it did from the east, and 
flying west toward the island when it left, bore out 
the idea of the lay of sweet singer Kingsley's " Last 
Buccaneer." 

" If I might but be a sea dove, I'd fly across the main 
To the pleasant Isle of Avis, to look at it once again." 



LIBERDADE. 1 27 

The old Buccaneer, it may have been, but we 
regarded it as the little bird, which most likely it 
was, that sitsup aloft to look out for poor "Jack."* 

A moth blown to our boat on the ocean, found 
shelter and a welcome there. The dove ! we 
secretly worshipped. 

With utmost confidence in our little craft, in- 
spired by many thrilling events, we now carried 
sail, blow high, blow low, till at times she reeled 
along with a bone in her mouth quite to the mind 
of her mariners. Thinking one day that she might 
carry more sail on the mast already bending hope- 
fully forward, and acting upon the liberal thought 
of sail we made a wide mistake, for the mainmast 
went by the board, under the extra press and the 
foremast tripped over the bows. Then spars, 
booms and sails swung alongside like the broken 
wings of a bird but were grappled, however, and 
brought aboard without much loss of time. The 
broken mast was then secured and strengthened 
by "fishes" or splints after the manner in which 
doctors fish a broken limb. 

Both of the masts were very soon refitted and 
again made to carry sail, all they could stand; and 
we were again bowling along as before. We made 
that day a hundred and seventy-five miles, one of 
our best days' work. 

*" There's a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft, 

To look out for a berth for poor Jack." — Dibdins Poems. 



128 VOYAGE OF THE 

I protest here that my wife should not have cried 
" More sail ! more sail ! " when, as it has been seen 
the canoe had on all the sail that she could carry. 
Nothing further happened to change the usual 
daily events until we reached Barbadoes. Flying- 
fish on the wing striking our sails, at night, often 
fell on deck, affording us many a toothsome fry. 
This happened daily, while sailing throughout the 
trade-wind regions. To be hit by one of these fish 
on the wing, which sometimes occurs, is no light 
matter, especially if the blow be on the face, as it 
may cause a bad bruise or even a black eye. The 
head of the flying-fish being rather hard makes it 
in fact a night slugger to be dreaded. They never 
come aboard in the daylight. The swift darting 
bill-fish, too, is a danger to be avoided in the tropics 
at night. They are met with mostly in the Pacific 
Ocean ; therefore South Sea Islanders are loath to 
voyage during the " bill-fish season." 

As to the flight of these fishes, I would estimate 
that of the flying-fish as not exceeding fifteen feet 
in height, or five hundred yards of distance, often 
not half so much. 

Bill-fish darting like an arrow from a bow, have, 
fortunately for sailors, not the power or do not rise 
much above the level of the waves, and can not 
dart further, say, than two hundred and fifty feet, 
according to the day for jumping. Of the many 
swift fish in the sea, the dolphin perhaps, is the 



LIBERDADE. 1 29 

most marvelous. Its oft told beauty, too, is indeed 
remarkable. A few of these fleet racers were cap- 
tured, on the voyage, but were found tough and 
rank ; notwithstanding some eulogy on them by 
other epicures, we threw the mess away. Those 
hooked by my crew were perhaps the tyrrhena 
pirates " turned into dolphins" in the days of yore. 
On the 19th day from Pernambuco, early in the 
morning, we made Barbadoes away in the West. 
Firslf, the blue, fertile hills, then green fields 
came into view, studded with many white buildings 
between sentries of giant wind-mills as old nearby, 
as the hills. Barbadoes is the most pleasant island 
in the Antilles ; to sail round its green fringe of 
coral sea is simply charming. We stood in to the 
coast, well to windward, sailing close in with the 
breakers so as to take in a view of the whole de- 
lightful panorama as we sailed along. By noon 
we rounded the south point of the island and shot 
into Carlysle Bay, completing the run from Per- 
nambuco exactly in nineteen days. This was con- 
siderably more than an hundred miles a day. The 
true distance being augmented by the circuitous 
route we adopted made it 2,150 miles. 



130 VOYAGE OF THE 



CHAPTER XV. 



AT BARBADOES MAYAGUEZ CROSSING THE BA- 
HAMA BANKS THE GULF STREAM ARRIVAL 

ON THE COAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 



Many old friends and acquaintances came down 
to see us upon our arrival at Barbadoes, all curious 
to inspect the strange craft. While there our old 
friend, the Palmer, that we left at Bahia, came in 
to refit, having broken a mast "trying to beat us," 
so Garfield would have it. For all that we had 
beaten her time four days. Who then shall say 
that we anchored nights or spent much time 
hugging the shore? The Condor was also at Bar- 
badoes in charge of an old friend, accompanied by 
a pleasant helpmeet and companion who had shared 
the perils of shipwreck with her husband the year 
before, in a hurricane among the islands. 



LIBERDADE. 131 

Meeting so many of this class of old friends of 
vast and varied experiences, gave contentment to 
our visit and we concluded to remain over at this 
port till the hurricane season should pass. Our old 
friend, the Finance too, came in, remaining but a 
few hours, however, she hurried away with her 
mails, homeward bound. 

The pleasant days at Barbadoes with its enchant- 
ment flew lightly by ; and on the 7th of October 
we sailed, giving the hurricane season the benefit of 
eight days. The season is considered over on the 
15 th of that month. 

Passing thence through the the Antilles into the 
Caribbean Sea, a new period of our voyage was 
begun. Fair breezes filled the sails of the Liber- 
dade as we glided along over tranquil seas, scanning 
eagerly the islands as they came into view, dwell- 
ing on each, in our thoughts, as hallowed ground 
of the illustrious discoverers — the same now as 
seen by them ! The birds, too, of " rare plumage," 
were there, flying from island to island, the same 
as seen by the discoverers ; and the sea with fishes 
teemed, of every gorgeous hue, lending enchant- 
ment to the picture, not less beautiful than the 
splendor on the land and in the air to thrill the 
voyager now, the same as then ; we ourselves, 
had only to look to see them. 

Whether it was birds with fins or fishes with 
wings, or neither of these that the old^ voyagers 



132 



VOYAGE OF THE 



saw, they discovered yet enough to make them 
wonder and rejoice. 

" Mountains of sugar, and rivers of rum and 
flying-fish, was what I saw, mother," said the son 
on his return home from a voyage to these 
islands. "John," said the enraptured mother, 
" you must be mistaken about the fish ; now don't 
lie to me, John. Mountains of sugar, no doubt you 
saw, and even rivers of rum, my boy, hutjlying-fish 
could never be." 

And yet \h&Jish were there. 

Among the islands of great interest which came 
in view, stretching along the Caribbean Sea, was 
that of Santa Cruz, the island famous for its brave, 
resolute women of days gone by, who, while their 
husbands were away, successfully defended home 
and happiness against Christian invaders, and for 
that reason were called fierce savages. I would 
fain have brought away some of the earth of the 
island in memory of those brave women. Small as 
our ship was, we could have afforded room in it for 
a memento thus consecrated ; but the trades hauling 
somewhat to the northward so headed us off 
that we had to forgo the pleasure of landing on 
its shores. 

Pushing forward thence, we reached Porto Rico, 
the nearest land in our course from the Island of 
Brave Women, standing well in with the southeast 
capes. Sailing thence along the whole extent of 



LIBERDADE. 1 33 

the south coast, in waters as smooth as any mill 
pond, and past island scenery worth the perils of 
ten voyages to see, we landed, on the 12th of Octo- 
ber, at Mayaguez in the west of the island, and 
there shook the kinks out of our bones by pleasant 
walks in tropic shades. 

Time, five days from Barbadoes ; distance 570 
miles. 

This was to be our last run among the trees in 
the West Indies, and we made the most of it. 
" Such a port for mariners I'll neversee again !" 
The port officials, kind and polite, extended all 
becoming courtesies to the quaint " barco -fiiquina ." 

The American Consul, Mr. Christie, Danish 
Consul, Mr. Falby, and the good French Consul, 
vied in making our visit a pleasant one. 

Photographers at Mayaguez desiring a picture of 
the canoe with the crew on deck at a time when we 
felt inclined to rest in the shade on shore, put a 
negro on board to take the place of captain. The 
photographs taken then found their way to Paris 
and Madrid journals where, along with some flat- 
tering accounts, they were published, upon which 
it was remarked that the captain was a fine-looking 
fellow, but "awfully tanned!" The moke was 
rigged all ataunto for the occasion, and made a 
picture indicative of great physical strength, one not 
to be ashamed of, but he would have looked more 
like me, I must say, if they had turned him back to. 



134 VOYAGE OF THE 

We enjoyed long carriage drives over rich estates 
at Mayaguez. We saw with pain, however, that 
the atmosphere of the soldier hung over all, per- 
vading the whole air like a pestilence. 

Musketed and sabred, and uniformed in their bed- 
ticking suits ; hated by the residents and despised 
by themselves, they doggedly marched, counter- 
marched and wheeled, knowing that they are loath- 
some in the island, and that their days in the New 
World are numbered. The sons of the colonies 
are too civil and Christianlike to be ruled always 
by sword and gun. 

On the 15th of October, after three days' rest, we 
took in, as usual before sailing from ports, sufficient 
fresh supplies to carry us to the port steered for next, 
then set sail from pleasant Mayaguez, and bore 
away for the old Bahama Channel, passing east of 
Hayti, thence along the north coast to the west 
extremity of the island, from which we took depart- 
ure for the headlands of Cuba, and followed that 
coast as far as Cardinas, where we took a final 
departure from the islands, regretting that we could 
not sail around them all. 

The region on the north side of Cuba is often 
visited by gales of great violence, making this the 
lee shore ; a weather eye was therefore kept lifting, 
especially in the direction of their source, which is 
from north to nor'west. However storms prevailed 
from other quarters, mostly from the east, bringing 



LIBERDADE. 1 35 

heavy squalls of wind, rain and thunder every af- 
ternoon, such as once heard will never be forgotten. 
Peal on peal of nature's artillery for a few hours, 
accompanied by vivid lightning, was on the cards 
for each day, then all would be serene again. 

The nights following these severe storms were 
always bright and pleasant, and the heavens would 
be studded with constellations of familiar, guiding 
stars. 

My crew had now no wish to bear up for port 
short of one on our own coast, but, impatient to see 
the North Star appear higher in the heavens, strung 
every nerve and trimmed every sail to hasten on. 

Nassau, the place to which letters had been 
directed to us we forbore to visit. This departure 
from a programme which was made at the begin- 
ning was the only change that we made in the 
"charter party" throughout the voyage. There 
was no hap-hazard sailing on this voyage. Daily 
observations for determining latitude and longitude 
were invariably made unless the sun was obscured. 
The result of these astronomical observations were 
more reliable than one might suppose, from their 
being taken on a tittlish canoe. After a few days' 
practising, a very fair off-hand contact could be 
made, when the canoe rose on the crest of a wave, 
where manifestly would be found the best result. 
The observer's station was simply on the top of the 
cabin, where astride, like riding horseback, Victor 



136 VOTAGE OF THE 

and I took the " sights," and indeed became expert 
" snap observers" before the voyage ended. 

One night in the Bahama Channel, while boom- 
ing along toward the Banks to the hor'west of us 
before stiff trades, I was called in the first watch by 
Victor, to come up quickly, for signs of the dread 
"norther" were in the sky. Our trusty barometer 
had been low, but was now on the cheerful side of 
change. This phenomenon disturbed me somewhat, 
till the discovery was made, as we came nearer, 
that it was but the reflection of the white banks on 
the sky that we saw, and no cause at all for alarm. 

Soon after this phenomenon the faint glimmer 
of Lobos Light was descried flickering on the 
horizon, two points on the weather bow. I 
changed the course three points to windward, hav- 
ing determined to touch at the small Cay where the 
lighthouse stands; one point being allowed for lee- 
way, which I found was not too much. 

Three hours later we fetched in under the lee of 
the reef, or Cay, as it is commonly called, and came 
to in one and a half fathoms of water in good 
shelter. 

We beheld then overhead in wonderful beauty 
what had awed us from the distance in the early 
night — a chart of the illuminating banks marked 
visibly on the heavens. 

We furled sails and, setting a light in the rigging, 
turned in ; for it lacked three hours yet of daylight. 



LIBERDABE. 1 37 

And what an interesting experience ours had been 
in the one short night ! By the break of day my 
crew were again astir, preparing to land and fill 
water at a good landing which we now perceived 
farther around the point to leeward, where the surf 
was moderate. 

On the Cay is stored some hundred thousand 
gallons of rain water in cisterns at the base of the 
iron tower which carries the light ; one that we saw 
from the canoe at a distance of fourteen miles. 

The keeper of the light, a hardy native of Nas- 
sau, when he discovered the new arrival at his 
"island," hoisted the British Board of Trade flag on 
a pole in the centre of this, his little world, then he 
came forward to speak us, thinking at first, he said, 
that we were shipwrecked sailors, which indeed we 
were, but not in distress, as he had supposed when 
hoisting the flag, which signified assistance for 
distressed seamen. On learning our story, however, 
he regarded us with grave suspicions, and refused 
water to Victor, who had already landed with buck- 
ets, telling him that the captain would have to 
bring his papers ashore and report. The mate's 
report would not be taken. Thus in a moment was 
transformed the friend in need to governor of an 
island. This amused me greatly, and I sent back 
word to my veritable Sancho Panza that in my 
many voyages to islands my mate had attended to 
the customs reports ; at which his Excellency chafed 



138 VOYAGE OF THE 

considerably, giving the gunnels of his trousers a 
fitful tug up now and then as he paced the beach, 
waiting my compliance with the rules of the island. 
The governor, I perceived, was suspicious of smug- 
glers and wreckers, apparently understanding their 
ways, if, indeed, even he were not a reformed pirate 
himself. 

However, to humor the punctiliousness of his 
Excellency, now that he was governor of an island, 
I placed my papers in my hat, and, leaping into 
the surf, waded ashore, where I was received as by 
a monarch 

The document I presented was the original Passe 
Es-pecial, the one with the big seal on it, written in 
Portuguese ; had it been in Choctaw the governor 
would have read it with the same facility that he 
did this, which he stared at knowingly and said, 
" all right, take all the water you want ; it is free." 

I lodged a careful report of the voyage with the 
governor and explained to his Excellency the where- 
abouts of the "Island of Rio," as his grace per- 
sistently called Rio de Janeiro, whence dated my 
papers. 

Conversing on the subject of islands, which was 
all the world to him, the governor viewed with 
suspicion the absence of a word in my documents, 
referring even to an islet; this, in his mind, was a 
reprehensible omission ; for surely New York to 
which the papers referred was built on an island. 



LIBERDADE. 1 39 

Upon this I offered to swear to the truth of my 
clearance, " as far as known to me," after the man- 
ner of cheap custom-house swearing with which 
shipmasters, in some parts of the world, are made 
familiar. " Not on the island ! " quickly exclaimed 
the governor, " ' for thou shalt not disglorify God's 
name,' is written in the Bible." 

I assured the governor of my appreciation of his 
pious sentiment of not over-swearing, — a laudable 
plan that even the Chinese adopt as a policy, and one 
that I would speak of on my return home, to the 
end that we all emulate the laws of the island ; 
whereupon the governor, greatly pleased, urged me 
to take some more water, minding me again that it 
was free. 

In a very few minutes I got all the water I wished 
for ; also some aurora shells from the governor's 
lady, who had arisen with the sun to grace the day 
and of all things most appropriate held in her 
generous lap beautiful aurora shells for which — to 
spoil the poem — I bartered cocoanuts and rusty 
gnarly yams. 

The lady was on a visit only to her lord and 
master, the monarch of all he surveyed. Beside this 
was their three children also on a visit, from Nassau, 
and two assistant keepers of the light which made 
up the total of this little world in the ocean. 

It was the smallest kingdom I had ever visited, 
peopled by happy human beings and the most iso- 
lated by far. 



140 VOYAGE OF THE 

The few blades of grass which had struggled 
into existence, not enough to support a goat, was 
all there was to look at on the island except the 
lighthouse, and the sand and themselves. 

Some small buildings and a flagstaff had once 
adorned the place, but together with a coop of 
chickens, the only stock of the islanders — except a 
dog — had been swept away by a hurricane which 
had passed over the island a short time before. The 
water for which we had called being now in the 
canoe, and my people on board waiting for me, I 
bade the worthy governor good-bye, and, saluting 
his charming island queen in a seamanlike manner, 
hastened back, to my own little world ; and bore 
away once more for the north. Sailing thence over 
the Great Bahama Banks, in a crystal sea, we ob- 
served on the white marl bottom many curious liv- 
ing things, among them the conch in its house ot 
exquisite tints and polished surface, the star-fish 
with radiated dome of curious construction, and 
many more denizens of the place, the names of 
which I could not tell, resting on the soft white bed 
under the sea. 

"They who go down to the sea in ships, they see 
the wonders of the Lord," I am reminded by a friend 
who writes me, on receipt of some of these curious 
things which I secured on the voyage, adding : 
" For all these curious and beautiful things are His 
handiwork. Who can look at such things without 
the heart being lifted up in adoration?" 



LIBERDADE. 141 

For words like these what sailor is there who 
would not search the caves of the ocean? Words 
too, from a lady. 

Two days of brisk sailing over the white Bahama 
Banks brought us to Bimini. Thence a mere 
push would send us to the coast of our own native 
America. The wind in the meantime hauling from 
regular nor'east trade to the sou'west, as we came 
up to Bimini, promising a smooth passage across, 
we launched out at once on the great Gulf Stream, 
and were swept along by its restless motion, making 
on the first day, before the wind and current, two 
hundred and twenty miles. This was great getting 
along for a small canoe. Going at the same high 
rate of speed on the second night in the stream, the 
canoe struck a spar and went over it with a bound. 
Her keel was shattered by the shock, but finally 
shaking the crippled timber clear of herself she 
came on quite well without it. No other damage 
was done to our craft, although at times her very 
ribs were threatened before clearing this lively 
ocean river. In the middle of the current, where 
the seas were yet mountainous but regular, we went 
along with a wide, swinging motion and fared well 
enough; but on nearing the edge of the stream a 
confused sea was met with, standing all on end, in 
every which way, beyond a sailor's comprehension. 
The motion of the Liberdade was then far from 
poetical or pleasant. The wind, in the meantime, 



142 VOYAGE OF THE 

had chopped round to the nor'east, dead ahead ; 
being thus against the current, a higher and more 
confused sea than ever was heaped up, giving us 
some uneasiness. We had, indeed, several unwel- 
come visitors come tumbling aboard of our craft, 
one of which furiously crashing down on her made 
all of her timbers bend and creak. However, I 
could partially remedy this danger by changing the 
course. 

" Seas like that can't break this boat," said our 
young boatswain; "she's built strong." It was 
well to find among the crew this feeling of assurance 
in the gallant little vessel. I, too, was confident in 
her seaworthiness. Nevertheless, I shortened sail 
and brought her to the wind, watching the lulls 
and easing her over the combers, as well as I 
could. But wrathful Neptune was not to let us 
so easily off, for the next moment a sea swept clean 
over the helmsman, wetting him through to the 
skin and, most unkind cut of all, it put out our fire, 
and capsized the hash and stove into the bottom of 
the canoe. This left us with but a damper for 
breakfast! Matters mended, however, as the day 
advanced, and for supper we had a grand and glo- 
rious feast. Early in the afternoon we made the 
land and got into smooth water. This of itself was 
a feast, to our minds. 

The land we now saw lying before us was hills 
of America, which we had sailed many thousands 



LIBERDADE. I43 

of miles to see. Drawing in with the coast, we 
made out, first the broad, rich forests, then open 
fields and villages, with many signs of comfort on 
every hand. We found it was the land about Bull's 
Bay on the coast of South Carolina, and night 
coming on, we could plainly see Cape Roman Light 
to the north of us. The wind falling light as we 
drew in with the coast, and finding a current against 
us, we anchored, about two miles from the shore, 
in four fathoms of water. It was now 8 p. m., Oc- 
tober 28, 1888, thirteen days from Mayaguez, 
twenty-one days from Barbadoes, etc. 

The following was the actual time at sea and dis- 
tances in nautical miles from point to point on the 
courses steered, approximately : 

From Paranagua to Santos - - - - 
" Santos to Rio de Janeiro 

(towed by Finance) ... 
Rio to Cape Frio .... 

Cape Frio to Carvellas ... 
Carvellas to Saint Paulo - 
Saint Paulo to Bahia ... 

Bahia to Pernambuco ... 
Pernambuco to Barbadoes 
Barbadoes to Mayaguez ... 
Mayaguez to Cape Roman 

Computing all the distances of the ins and outs 
that we made would considerably augment the 
sum. To say, therefore, that the Liber dade aver- 



)ays. 


Distance 


1 


150 


% 


200 


2 


70 


4 


37o 


3 


270 


X A 


40 


5 


390 


J 9 


2,150 


5 


570 


J 3 


1,300 



144 



VOYAGE OF THE 



•aged a hundred and three miles a day for fifty-three 
days would be considerably inside the truth. 

This was the voyage made in the boat which cost 
less than a hundred dollars outside of our own labor 
of building. Journals the world over have spoken 
not unkindly of the feat ; encomiums in seven lan- 
guages reached us through the newspapers while we 
lay moored in Washington. Should the same good 
fortune that followed the Liberdade attend this little 
literary craft, when finished, it would go safe into 
many lands. Without looking, however, to this 
mark of good fortune, the journal of the voyage has 
been as carefully constructed as was the Liberdade, 
and I trust, as conscientiously, by a hand, alas ! 
that has grasped the sextant more often than the 
plane or pen, and for the love of doing. This apology 
might have been more appropriately made in the 
beginning of the journal, maybe, but it comes to 
me now, and like many other things done, right or 
wrong, but done on the impulse of the moment, I 
put it down. 



LIBERDADE. 145 



CHAPTER XVI. 



OCEAN CURRENTS VISIT SOUTH SANTEE AT THE 

TYPEE RIVER QUARANTINED SOUTH PORT 

AND WILMINGTON, N. C. INLAND SAILING TO 

BEAUFORT, NORFOLK AND WASHINGTON, D. C. 
VOYAGE ENDED. 



No one will be more surprised at the complete 
success of the voyage and the speedy progress made 
than were we ourselves who made it, with inci- 
dents and events among which is the most promi- 
nent of a life at sea. 

A factor of the voyage, one that helped us for- 
ward greatly, and which is worthy of special men- 
tion, was the ocean current spoken of as we came 
along in its friendly sway. 

Many are the theories among fresh water philoso- 
phists respecting these currents, but in practical 
10 



^ 



146 VOYAGE OF THE 

sailing, where the subject is met with in its tangible 
form, one cause only is recognized ; namely, the 
action of the wind on the surface of the water, push- 
ing the waves along. Out on the broad ocean 
the effect at first is hardly perceptible, but the con- 
stant trades sending countless millions of waves in 
one direction, cause at last a mighty moving power, 
which the mariner meets sometimes as an enemy 
to retard and delay, sometimes as a friend, as in 
our case, to help him on his way. These are views 
from a practical experience with no theory to 
prove. 

By daylight on the twenty-ninth, we weighed 
anchor and set sail again for the north. The wind 
and current was still adverse but we kept near the 
land making short boards off and on through the 
day where the current had least effect. And when 
night came on again came to once more close in 
with Cape Roman light. Next day we worked up 
under the lee of the Roman shoals and made har- 
bor in South Santee, a small river to the north of 
Cape Roman, within range of the light, there to 
rest until the wind should change, it being still 
ahead. 

Next morning, since the wind had not changed, 
we weighed anchor and stood farther into the river 
looking for inhabitants, that we might listen to 
voices other than our own. Our search was soon 
rewarded, for, coming around a point of wood- 



LIBERDADE. 



147 



land, a farmhouse stood before us on the river side. 
We came alongside the bank and jumped ashore, but 
hardly had we landed when, as out of the earth a 
thousand dogs, so it seemed, sprung up threatening 
to devour us all. However, a comely woman came 
out of the house and it was explained to the satis- 
faction of all, especially to a persistent cur, by a 
vigorous whack on the head with a cudgel, that 
our visit was a friendly one ; then all was again 
peaceful and quiet. The good man was in the 
field close by, but soon came home accompanied 
by his two stalwart sons each " toting " a sack of 
corn. We found the Andersons — this was the 
family name — isolated in every sense of the word, 
and as primitive as heart could wish. The charm- 
ing simplicity of these good people captivated my 
crew. We met others along the coast innocent of 
greed, but of all unselfish men, Anderson the elder 
was surely the prince. 

Purchasing some truck from this good man, we 
found that change could not be made for the 
dollar which I tendered in payment. But I pro- 
tested that I was more than content to let the few 
odd cents go, having received more garden stuff 
than I had ever seen offered for a dollar in any 
part of the world. And indeed I was satisfied. 
The farmer, however, nothing content, offered me 
a coon skin or two, but these I didn't want, and 
there being no other small change about the farm, 



148 VOYAGE OF THE 

the matter was dropped, I thought, for good, and 
I had quite forgotten it, when later in the evening 
I was electrified by his offering to carry a letter for 
us which we wished posted, some seven miles 
away, and call it "square," against the twenty 
cents of the morning's transaction. The letter 
went, and in due course of time we got an answer. 

I do not say that we stuck strictly to the twenty- 
cent transaction, but I fear that not enough was 
paid to fair-dealing Anderson. However all were 
at last satisfied and warming into conversation, a 
log fire was improvised and social chat went round. 

These good people could hardly understand how 
it was, as I explained, that the Brazilians had freed 
the slaves and had no war, Mr. Anderson often 
exclaiming, " Well, well, I d'clar. Freed the nig- 
gers, and had no wah. Mister," said he, turning 
to me after a long pause, "mister, d'ye know the 
South were foolish ? They had a wah, and they 
had to free the niggers, too." 

" Oh, yes, mister, I was thar ! Over thar beyond 
them oaks was my house." 

" Yes, mister, I fought, too, and fought hard, but 
it warn't no use." 

Like many a hard fighter, Anderson, too, was a 
pious man, living in a state of resignation to be 
envied. His years of experience on the new island 
farm had been hard and trying in the extreme. My 
own misfortunes passed into shade as the harder 



LIBERDADE. 1 49 

luck of the Andersons came before my mind, and 
the resolution which I had made to buy a farm was 
now shaken and finally dissolved into doubts of the 
wisdom of such a course. On this farm they had 
first " started in to raise pork," but found that it 
" didn't pay, for the pigs got wild and had to be 
gathered with the dogs," and by the time they 
were " gathered and then toted, salt would hardly 
cure them, and they most generally tainted." The 
enterprise was therefore abandoned, for that of till- 
ing the soil, and a crop was put in, but " the few 
pigs which the dogs had not gathered came in at 
night and rooted out all the taters." It then 
appeared that a fence should be built. " Accord- 
ingly," said he, "the boys and I made one which kept 
out the stock, but, sir, the rats could get in ! They 
took every tater out of the ground ! From all that 
I put in, and my principal work was thar, I didn't 
see a sprout." How it happened that the rats had 
left the crop the year before for their relations — 
the pigs — was what seemed most to bother the 
farmer's mind. Nevertheless, " there was corn in 
Egypt yet ;" and at the family circle about the board 
that night a smile of hope played on the good 
farmer's face, as in deep sincerity he asked that for 
what they had they might be made truly thankful. 
We learned a lesson of patience from this family, 
and were glad that the wind had carried us to their 
shore. 



150 VOYAGE OF THE 

Said the farmer, "And you came all the way 
from Brazil in that boat ! Wife, she won't go to 
Georgetown in the batto that I built because it 
rares too much. And they freed the niggers and 
had no wah ! Well, well, I d'clar ! " 

Better folks we may never see than the farmers 
of South Santee. Bidding them good-bye next 
morning at early dawn we sailed before a light 
land wind which, however, soon petered out. 

The S. S. Planter then coming along took us in 
tow for Georgetown, where she was bound. We 
had not the pleasure, however, of visiting the be- 
loved old city ; for having some half dozen cocoa- 
nuts on board, the remainder of small stores of the 
voyage, a vigilant officer stopped us at the quaran- 
tine ground. Fruit not being admitted into South 
Carolina until after the first of November, and 
although it was now late in the afternoon of the 
first, we had to ride quarantine that night, with a 
promise, however, of pratique next morning. But 
there was no steamer going up the river the next 
day. The Planter coming down though supplied 
us with some small provisions, such as not procur- 
able at the Santee farm. Then putting to sea we 
beat along slowly against wind and current. 

We began now to experience, as might be 
expected, autumn gales of considerable violence, 
the heaviest of which overtaking us at Frying-pan 
Shoal, drove us back to leeward of Cape Fear for 



LIBERDADE. 151 

shelter. South Port and Wilmington being then 
so near we determined to visit both places. Two 
weeks at these ports refreshed the crew and made 
all hands willing for sea again. 

Sailing thence through Corn-cake Inlet we cut 
off Cape Fear and the Frying-pan Shoals, being 
of mind to make for the inlets along the Carolina 
coast and to get into the inland waters as soon as 
practicable. 

It was our good fortune to fall in with an old 
and able pilot at Corn-cake Inlet, one Capt. Blood- 
good, who led the way through the channel in his 
schooner, the " Packet," a Carolina pitch and 
cotton droger of forty tons register, which was 
manned solely by the captain and his two sons, 
one twelve and the other ten years old. It was in 
the crew that I became most interested, and not the 
schooner. Bloodgood gave the order when the 
tide served for us to put to sea. " Come, children," 
said he, "let's try it." Then we all tried it to- 
gether, the Packet leading the way. The shaky 
west wind that filled our sails as we skimmed along 
the beach with the breakers close aboard, carried 
us but a few leagues when it flew suddenly round 
to nor' east and began to pipe. 

The gale increasing rapidly inclined me to bear 
up for New River Inlet, then close under our lee ; 
with a treacherous bar lying in front, which to cross 
safely, would require great care. 



152 VOYAGE OF THE 

But the gale was threatening, and the harbor 
inside, we could see, was smooth, then, too, cried 
my people: " Any port in a storm." I decided 
prompt ; put the helm up and squared away. 
Flying thence, before it, the tempest-tossed canoe 
came sweeping in from sea over the rollers in a 
delightfully thrilling way. One breaker only com- 
ing over us, and even that did no harm more than 
to give us all the climax soaking of the voyage. 
This was the last sea that broke over the canoe on 
the memorable voyage. 

The harbor inside the bar of New River was 
good. Adding much to our comfort too, was fish 
and game in abundance. 

The " Packet," which had parted from us made 
her destined port some three leagues farther on. 
The last we saw of the children, they were at the 
main sheets hauling aft, and their father was at the 
helm, and all were flying through the mist like fear- 
less sailors. 

After meeting Carolina seamen, to say nothing 
of the few still in existence further north, I chal- 
lenge the story of Greek supremacy. 

The little town of South Port was made up al- 
most entirely of pilots possessing, I am sure, every 
quality of the sailor and the gentleman. 

Moored snug in the inlet, it was pleasant to 
listen to the roar of the breakers on the bar, but 
not so cheerful was the thought of facing the high 



LIBERDADE. 1 53 

waves seaward, therefore the plan suggested itself 
of sufficiently deepening a ditch that led through 
the marshes from New River to Bogue Sound ; to 
let us through, thence we could sail inland the rest 
of the voyage without obstruction or hindrance of 
any kind. To this end we set about contrivances 
to heave the canoe over the shoals, and borrowed 
a shovel from a friendly schooner captain to deepen 
the ditch which we thought would be necessary to 
do in order to ford her along that way. However, 
the prevailing nor'east gales had so raised the 
water in the west end of the sound as to fill all the 
creeks and ditches to overflowing. I hesitated 
then no longer but heading for the ditch through 
the marshes on a high tide, before a brave west 
wind took the chances of getting through by hook 
or by crook or by shovel and spade if required. 

The "Coast Pilot," in speaking of this place, 
savs there is nevermore than a foot of water there, 
and even that much is rarely found. The Liber- 
dade essayed the ditch, drawing two feet and four 
inches, thus showing the further good fortune or 
luck which followed perseverance, as it usually 
does, though sometimes, maybe, it is bad luck ! 
Perhaps I am not lucid on this, which at best must 
remain a disputed point. 

I was getting lost in the maze of sloughs and 
creeks, which as soon as I entered seemed to lead 
in every direction but the right one. Hailing a 



154 VOYAGE OF THE 

hunter near by, however, I was soon put straight 
and reassured of success. The most astonished 
man, though, in North Carolina, was this same 
hunter when asked if he knew the ditch that led 
through where I wished to go. 

"Why, stranger," said he, " my gran'ther digged 
that ditch." 

I jumped, I leaped ! at thought of what a pilot 
this man would be. 

" Well, stranger," said he, in reply to my query, 
" stranger, if any man kin take y' thro' that ditch, 
why, I kin ;" adding doubtfully, however, " I have 
not hearn tell befo' of a vessel from Brazil sailing 
through these parts ; but then you mout get 
through, and again ye moutent. Well, it's jist 
here ; you mout and you moutent." 

A bargain was quickly made, and my pilot came 
aboard, armed with a long gun, which as we sailed 
along proved a terror to ducks. The entrance to 
the ditch, then close by, was made with a flowing 
sheet, and I soon found that my pilot knew his busi- 
ness. Rush-swamps and corn-fields we left to port 
and to starboard, and were at times out of sight 
among brakes that brushed crackling along the 
sides of the canoe, as she swept briskly through the 
narrows, passing them all, with many a close hug, 
though, on all sides. At a point well on in the 
crooked channel my pilot threw up his hat, and 
shouted, with all his might: 



LIBERDADE. 155 

" Yer trouble is over ! Swan to gosh if it ain't ! 
And ye come all the way from Brazil, and come 
through gran'ther's ditch ! Well, I d'clar ! " 

From this I concluded that we had cleared all 
the doubtful places, and so it turned out. Before 
sundown my pilot was looking for the change of a 
five-dollar-piece ; and we of the Liberdade sat 
before a pot-pie, at twilight, the like of which on 
the whole voyage had not been tasted, from sea 
fowl laid about by our pilot while sailing through 
the meadows and marshes. And the pilot himself, 
returning while the pot-pie was yet steaming hot, 
declared it " ahead of coon." 

A pleasant sail was this through the ditch that 
gran'ther dug. At the camp fire that night, where 
we hauled up by a fishing station, thirty stalwart 
men talked over the adventures of their lives. My 
pilot, the best speaker, kept the camp in roars. 
As for myself, always fond of mirth, I got up from 
the fire sore from laughing. Their curious adven- 
tures with coons and 'gators recounted had been 
considerable. 

Many startling stories were told. But frequently 
reverting to the voyage of the Liberdade, they 
declared with one voice that "it was the greatest 
thing since the wah." I took this as a kind of 
complimentary hospitality. "When she struck 
on a sand reef," said the pilot, " why, the captain 
he jumped right overboard and the son he jumped 



156 VOYAGE OF THE 

right over, too, to tote her over, and the captain's 
wife she holp." 

By daylight next morning we sailed from this 
camp pleasant, and on the following day, November 
28, at noon, arrived at Beaufort. 

Mayor Bell of that city and many of his town 
folk met us at the wharf, and gave me as well as 
my sea-tossed crew a welcome to their shores, such 
as to make us feel that the country was partly ours. 

"Welcome, welcome home," said the good 
mayor; "we have read of your adventures, and 
watched your progress as reported from time to 
time, with deep interest and sympathy." 

So we began to learn now that prayers on shore 
had gone up for the little canoe at sea. This was 
indeed America and home, for which we had longed 
while thousands of miles across the ocean. 

From Beaufort to Norfolk and thence to Wash- 
ington was pleasant inland sailing, with prevailing 
fair winds and smooth sea. Christmas was spent 
on the Chesapeake — a fine, enjoyable day it was ! 
with not a white-cap ripple on the bay. Ducks 
swimming ahead of the canoe as she moved quietly 
along were loath to take wing in so light a breeze, 
but flapping away, half paddling and half flying, 
as we came toward them, they managed to keep a 
long gun-shot off; but having laid in at the last 
port a turkey of no mean proportions, which we 
made shift to roast in the " caboose " aboard, we 



LIBERDADE. 157 

could look at a duck without wishing its destruc- 
tion. With this turkey and a bountiful plum duff, 
we made out a dinner even on the Liberdade. 

Of the many Christmas days that come crowding 
in my recollections now ; days spent on the sea and 
in foreign lands, as falls to the lot of sailors — which 
was the merriest it would be hard to say. Of this, 
however, I am certain, that the one on board the 
Liberdade on the Chesapeake was not the least 
happy of them all. 

The day following Christmas found us on the 
Potomac, enjoying the same fine weather and abun- 
dant good cheer of the day before. Fair winds car- 
ried us through all the reaches of the river, and the 
same prosperity which attended our little bark in 
the beginning of the voyage through tempestuous 
weather followed her to the end of the voyage, 
which terminated in mild days and pleasant sun- 
shine. 

On the 27th of December, 1888, a south wind 
bore us into harbor at Washington, D. C, where 
we moored for the winter, furled our sails and coiled 
up the ropes, after a voyage of joys and sorrows : 
crowned with pleasures, however, which lessened 
the pain of past regrets. 

Having moored the Liberdade and weather-bitted 
her cables, it remains only to be said that after 
bringing us safely through the dangers of a tropical 
voyage, clearing reefs, shoals, breakers, and all 



158 VOYAGE OF THE LIBERDADE. 

storms without a serious accident of any kind, we 
learned to love the little canoe as well as anything 
could be loved that is made by hands. 

To say that we had not a moment of ill-health 
on the voyage would not tell the whole story. 

My wife, brave enough to face the worst storms, 
as women are sometimes known to do on sea and 
on land, enjoyed not only the best of health, but 
had gained a richer complexion. 

Victor, at the end of the voyage, found that he 
had grown an inch and had not been frightened 
out of his boots. 

Little Garfield — well he had grown some, too, 
and continued to be a pretty good boy and had 
managed to hold his grip through many ups and 
downs. He it was who stood by the bow line to 
make fast as quick as the Liber dade came to the 
pier at the end of the voyage. 

And I, last, as it should be, lost a few pounds' 
weight, but like the rest landed in perfect health ; 
taking it altogether, therefore, only pleasant recol- 
lections of the voyage remain with us who made it. 

With all its vicissitudes I still love a life on the 
broad, free ocean, never regretting the choice of my 
profession. 

However, the time has come to debark from the 
Liber dade, now breasted to the pier where I leave her 
for a time ; for my people are landed safe in port. 




GARFIELD. 



Disposal of the Liberdade. 



About the middle of April the Liberdade cast loose 
her moorings from the dock at Washington, and 
spreading sail before a brave west wind, bent her 
course along down the Potomac with the same 
facility as experienced in December coming up 
before a wind from the South; then shaping her 
course for New York via Baltimore and Philadel- 
phia through inland passages, the voyage was 
turned into a pleasure excursion. Animation of 
spring clothed the landscape on all sides in its 
greatest beauty ; and our northern forest the 
voyagers found upon their return was not less 
charming than "tropic shade" of foreign climes. 
And the robin sang even a sweeter trill than ever 
before heard by the crew, for they listened to it 
now in the country that they loved. 

From New York the Liberdade sailed for Boston 
via New London, New Bedford, Martha's Vine- 
yard, Newport, and Taunton, at which — latter 
place — she hauled out, and the crew, thence to 
the Bay State Capital, enjoyed the novelty of a 
" sail over land." 

Then the Liberdade moored snug in Boston and 
her crew spent the winter again among friends. 



They met here during this time, the man who 
advised the captain at Buenos Ayres to pitch the 
Aquidneck's cargo of hay into the sea ; for not 
taking the advice — witness, alas! the captain's 
plight ! 

Finally, upon return of spring, the Liberdade was 
refitted on a voyage retracing her course to Wash- 
ington, where, following safe arrival, she will end 
her days in the Smithsonian Institution ; a haven of 
honor that many will be glad to know she has won. 



